Sun and Moon
by persianprincess11
Summary: What happened in the ten years after Capricorn left the Inkworld? This is all about how Firefox, the Piper, and the other fire-raisers got on until the events of Inkspell. Firefox X OC, Piper X Minerva.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1--A Disappearance

A knock on his door like a dagger stabbing through his skull woke Firefox from his flaming dreams. He let out a growl or irritation and called hoarsely "Come in." He heard the door creak and he opened his eyes. Everything in his bedchamber slowly swam into view, but when he tried to sit up to see who his visitor was he fell back with a gasp as his forehead split open with a hangover. Groaning, he put a hand to his throbbing head as if he didn't know already that wouldn't help the pain at all.

"Been drinking, have you?" Firefox opened one eye to see the Piper standing beside his bed. "Tsk tsk. What would you poor mother say?"

"Fuck you." Firefox spat.

"It doesn't even look like you got laid for your trouble!" the Piper sneered. Firefox didn't reply. The minstrel stared down at him for a few seconds before relenting. "Treat the symptom with some more of the cause." He said, tossing his flask on to the bed beside him.

"Thank you." Firefox opened his mouth. And waited. The Piper waited a few more seconds before getting it.

"You really don't expect me to feed that to you?" he snorted incredulously.

"I'll give you that jeweled sword belt of mine you like!"

"Deal." the Piper said without hesitation. He screwed open the flask and poured the entire contents down Firefox's throat.

"Mmmm." Firefox smiled happily as the liquor took its effect.

"Can you stand without puking?" the Piper asked.

"If I puked I'd lose the wine I just drank, now wouldn't I?" Firefox replied as he gingerly lifted himself off the bed.

"Good. Capricorn captured that fire-eater he's always after." The Piper chuckled. "Again."

"Well, we'll have a good show when he escapes." Firefox pulled on his clothes. The Piper pocketed his flask and followed.

***

Out in the courtyard, Capricorn was making a dramatic speech while Basta shook the disheveled fire-eater by his collar. Firefox and the Piper stopped in the archway, leaning against either side, expressions of polite interest masking their faces.

"You have defied me for the last time, fire-eater!" Capricorn hissed, a triumphant smile on his face. "I am the master of this wood, and you shall bow to my will!" Firefox coughed loudly to hide the snort that had risen unbidden in his chest. Capricorn looked over at him for a second, then continued. "When I'm through with you, your little wifey Roxane won't even have anything to bury, for your corpse will be so..." the Piper lifted his hand to his mouth as if to cover an exaggerated yawn, silver rings glinting in the sun as his eyes flew to Firefox's, who smirked.

"Did that maid of yours keep you up last night again?" Firefox whispered, leaning over to him.

"You should get some peppermint leaves from Basta." the Piper said, avoiding the questions. "I didn't think anything smelled worse than wine until I smelled wine that's been rotting in your mouth all night." Firefox gave an overemphasized exhale right in his face and returned to his spot.

"And from this day on, no one will question my--" Capricorn stopped abruptly. The two men looked over to see what had happened. Capricorn, Basta, and Dustfinger had vanished. After a moment of stunned silence, the courtyard erupted into pandemonium around them. Maids shrieked, men futily drew their swords, and above all, Mortola was heard roaring "WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Firefox and the Piper both left their posts to join the crowd. The Piper wove through the people, eventually reaching his flavor of the month, a pretty maid named Minerva, and dragged her into a lonely corridor.

"I got your note. Can't be satisfied with just having me at night?" he pinned her in a doorway and whispered seductively into her ear.

"It's not that." she said angrily. Surprised by her tone, the Piper backed away.

"What's wrong with you? Is there another man?" he asked, feigning shock at the thought of the woman who was as of a few weeks ago the only virgin maid working for Mortola being unfaithful.

"No. I'm pregnant." she grimaced. "I'm five days late."

"Oh." his face (among other things) fell. "Damn." They looked at each other a few seconds.

"I have to go. This is no place for a child." she shivered, looking nervously down the corridor.

"I know." he said softly. Another pause, then: "If it's a boy--name it Ivo, all right?"Why?" she whispered.

"It's my name." he replied. She nodded, then pulled him to her and kissed him. He held her until they heard footsteps coming around the corner. The Piper thrust Minerva through the doorway into whatever room lay beyond and stepped out to meet Mortola, running blindly with eyes filled with furious tears.

"HAVE YOU FOUND HIM?!" she grabbed his shoulders and shook him, a mad gleam in her eye.

"No!" he quickly extracted himself and she took off along the corridor, going into, to his horror, the doorway in which he had hidden Minerva.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!" he heard her scream. A muffled reply and the sounds of blows, made fiercer than usual by rage and pain, came through the closed door, along with gasps and then screams as they hit their mark.

"Minerva." the Piper--Ivo--whispered. For a minute he started toward the door to defend her, but it would mean Minerva's death for sure. He resolved to find a way to get back at the old woman. No matter how long it took. Breathing heavily, he turned and strode back toward the courtyard. Firefox had gotten everyone's attention and was giving instructions for search parties to go out into the Wayless Wood searching for Capricorn. As each group was named, the crowd diminished until it was only Firefox, the Piper, and a few miscellaneous maids and their bastard children. Firefox walked over to the Piper, smiling cockily.

"I got them all to listen to me! I almost hope Capricorn doesn't come back, so I can enjoy this a little longer!" he was too smug to notice his friend's mood.

"And Basta. He's gone too." the Piper reminded him tonelessly.

"Psh. Who cares?" Firefox looked at him for agreement and noticed the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The Piper said tersely. Firefox looked at him, concerned.

"You look like you got one of the maids pregnant!" he laughed.

"Yeah..." he trailed off and walked away.

What's up his ass? Wondered Firefox. Knowing the Piper, he'd have to wait until he damn well felt like telling someone about it before he'd find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2--Sweet Sorrows

The Piper plucked out a melancholy tune on his lyre as he sat on his window seat in the tallest tower of Capricorn's fortress. A full moon hung in the midnight sky, shaming the stars around it. He abruptly stopped playing and pressed his hand to the body of the lyre to still the strings. He gazed up at the sky and sighed. He'd never had a flavor of the month before. Flavor of the week, of the day, even once of the hour, but one woman had never captured his attention and held it for a whole month.

A light appeared on the ground as a door opened and someone in a hood stepped out and walked toward the stable. She could have been miles away and he would have know her. With a sudden stab through his heart, he knew what he had to do.

The guards got a laugh that night when they saw the Piper flying down the stairs in a silken robe that cost more than a house in Ombra. Cursing every time he bumped into a guard on a landing or stepped on something sharp carelessly left on the stairs by a drunken fire raiser, he went down three stairs at a time. When finally got to the stable, only to find Minerva gone, the crowd of onlookers got another wave of swearing as he stormed back up to his room to dress for riding and go after the woman he loved.

***

Minerva had been riding for less than a quarter of an hour before another horse's steps came up behind her. She guessed who it was and steered her horse to the side of the road. He nearly shot past her, silvery clothes flying in the breeze. He pulled his horse up just in time, and it reared, almost flinging him off.

The Piper dismounted as soon as he got the horse under control. "Minerva." he ran toward her. "Don't go!"

"What am I supposed to do?" she demanded. "Do you think the rest of Capricorn's men will just accept this? You'll be laughed out of the fortress. The other maids might kill me, if Mortola doesn't first. This. Can't. Work."

He grabbed her shoulders and she saw desperation in his eyes. "I don't know! But please. I'll get you everything you want. You'll have anything you could ever wish for. And if the other maids touch a hair on your head, I'll make them wish they were never born!" he leaned in closer, caressing your face. "You'll be like a princess. My princess."

For a moment she stared into those pleading gray eyes and let herself believe that this was the man she would spend her life with. She wanted to believe every word he spoke with that sweet sounding voice, but eventually she pulled away and shook her head.

"No." The Piper stared at her a moment, not quite believing her. When she started toward her horse, he let out a little whimper of despair.

"Then let me come with you. Please!"

"The fire raisers will come after you. No."

"I love you." he stood beside her horse looking up at her.

Minerva looked down at him. "I love you too." she said. He smiled. "But that's not enough." she watched his heart break through his eyes as she turned her horse around and set off at a gallop down the road, tears drying in the wind.

"Minerva." she got farther down the road. "MINERVA!" the Piper ran a few steps down the road before she rode out of sight. Just at that moment, a few fire raisers looking to get a laugh by following him came around the bend, wine bottles in hand.

"Hey, Piper! Your girl get away?" One shouted in a drunken stupor. The Piper turned around slowly, voice getting louder as he spoke.

"I thought I told you NOT TO FOLLOW ME!" He slashed the nearest one across the face with his nails. As the man drew back, cursing, the Piper exclaimed, "And you got blood on my nails! You idiot!" and scratched his other cheek. Leaving the drunkards to themselves, he mounted his horse and sped back to the castle, gritting his teeth with pain and fury.

***

Firefox heard a clattering in the hall and the laughing of guards as he toasted himself. Again. He looked out the door to see what the commotion was about and saw a streak of expensive clothes riding off into the night. The Piper. What was he doing going riding at this hour? He waited outside the fortress, long after the other fire raisers had gotten bored and gone back to bed.

It was almost dawn when the Piper came back. Firefox guessed he had pulled over to let his emotions have it out until he could show his face at the castle. But his emotions about what? The Piper gave his horse to one of the stable hands and walked, proud and straight as a ramrod, to the door of the castle. Firefox hurried over until he was beside him, trotting to keep up.

"Where did you go? What would your poor mother say?" he asked jokingly.

"Don't talk to me." his voice was seething, like a viper had replaced his friend's tongue.

"Piper?" he tried to grab his arm.

"I want to be alone" he walked faster, reaching the stairs and starting to climb. Firefox kept following, vainly trying to match the Piper's pace. Heads poked out of doors and abruptly flew back in when they met the Piper's steely gaze. Finally they reached the highest room. Firefox was panting, while the Piper wasn't even out of breath. He tried to slam the door, but Firefox caught it and pushed his way in.

"Tell me what's wrong! Are you jealous I'm of higher rank than you now?" Firefox asked.

The Piper laughed a hollow laugh Firefox had never heard. "Firefox, you could be king of Argenta and Lombrica too, and you still would be below me!"

"At least you haven't lost your charm." Firefox remarked. The Piper laughed that strange laugh again and went to sit on his windowseat looking out at the lightening sky. He gripped the sill with such intensity his knuckles turned white and his hand began to shake. Firefox slowly walked over to him and sat beside him.

"Do you really want to know?" the Piper closed his eyes as they watered up.

"Yes." Firefox said softly.

"Minerva is..." his voice went up an octave. "Is...gone." he drew in breath sharply and squeezed his eyes a little tighter, but some tears got out anyway. They glittered in the moonlight like pearls.

"Why?"

"She's carrying my child. She wouldn't stay with me." Firefox sucked in his breath in sympathy.

"Well...do you really care about her that much?" he suddenly asked incredulously.

"I LOVE her." he looked into Firefox's eyes with such conviction and intensity, so much emphasis on the word love, that he had to believe him.

"Does she love you?" he tentatively asked.

"She said she did. But that love wasn't enough." the Piper broke down for a couple seconds. When he regained control of himself, he continued, "But I finally understand. All that rubbish other minstrels sing about, true love, soulmates, love conquering all--it's true. It's all true. Love IS enough. It HAS to be."

"That we'll get her back." Firefox said simply.

"What?!"

"We'll get her back. Tomorrow we'll take a small party, under the pretense of looking for Capricorn, and no matter how long it takes, we'll find her. Because I can't let you go on like this." he looked down, embarrassed, after he finished speaking.

"Thank you." the Piper smiled weakly. "Thank you so much."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Firefox awoke, for the first time in weeks, without a hangover. He had stayed in the Piper's room comforting his until he eventually fallen asleep on the window seat. His heartbroken friend lay on the bed, still fully clothed. Firefox walked over and shook him lightly.

"Minerva..." he mumbled and turned over. Firefox decided to let him sleep. Downstairs he got some breakfast. Apparently being sober worked up an appetite.

"Firefox." A fireraiser named Plotdevice approached him. "We need to talk."

"We'll have plenty of time for that the next few weeks. Get a score of men together. The Piper and I are going to lead a search party ourselves." His head was so clear! He should try this more often...

"That wouldn't be wise, sir. If you want to keep control of the fire raisers, you need to be here. Your grip on leadership is tenuous at best." Plotdevice replied. "I happen to know Anzio is planning to muscle in first chance he gets."

"It's urgent. And if we find Capricorn, I won't have to worry about keeping control, will I?" Plotdevice shrugged and walked off to gather the search party. Firefox walked on through the courtyard, meeting Anzio's eyes for a minute before he turned away. He went to the western wall near the stables and looked down the road. It forked not a few miles away, and he knew the Wayless Wood's roads were a virtual labyrinth. Minerva could have gone anywhere. Countless villages, and if she managed to get to Ombra, there was no chance they could find her.

Firefox shivered in a sudden chill breeze. Finding Minerva would be like finding one hair in a fairy's nest.

***

The Piper awoke with tears on his face. Why had he been crying? He wondered for a moment, and then it all came crashing back down on him.

"Minerva..." he whispered, but he was out of tears. He sat up and wiped his face. Looking out the window, he followed the road Minerva had taken with his eyes. It forked--one way into Argenta, and one way into Lombrica. "GODDAMMIT!" he shouted, seized by sudden anger. He wouldn't find Minerva. How could she leave him? HOW?! IN time the firey anger froze over into sadness, and by the time Firefox burst in asking why he screamed he was sobbing again.

"Firefox, we won't find her. Lombrica or Argenta? Where can we even begin to look?" he whispered, defeated.

"I have it from a moss woman that was out gathering herbs last night she took the Argenta side. There's a village within a day's ride; she must have stopped there, someone must have seen something. Now come on and pack. We have to set out soon if we want any hope of catching her." He left the Piper to prepare.

***

Half an hour later Firefox was saddling his horse when he heard a tyrannical voice rising above the commotion of the search party.

"You! Saddle my horse! You with the long beard. get my things from my room! Get out of my way! IDIOTS!" The Piper strutted across the courtyard, dressed in his most resplendent clothes and with a flask in one hand which he took a swig out of every few minutes.

"There's the Piper I know." Firefox smiled as the minstrel drew closer. "How'd you pull yourself together so fast?"

"Alcohol. I realized I only carry that flask around because you always need it. I've never drunk out of it myself. And now I realize being drunk is great!" The Piper smiled, eyes slightly crossed.

"I'm just glad you found a mature way of dealing with your problems!" Firefox said sarcastically. "Let's ride!" They rode up to the fork in the road and started to go down the Argenta road, but the Piper held up his hand.

"Wait! We're going the wrong way." he said to Firefox, who was riding behind him.

"A moss-woman saw her go this way!" he protested.

"Well, the moss-woman was wrong. She went to Lombrica. I can feel it!" the Piper turned his horse to the other road and started riding. Firefox swore under his breath and followed along with Plotdevice and the others.

The Piper took another sip of wine and retreated into his memories to escape from the pain and monotony of the road.

***

It was a month before Capricorn had disappeared. The Piper was on his way to see his flavor of the week, but Firefox, who was seated on a bench in the courtyard, waved him over to where he was sitting.

"I have a challenge for you." he said, taking a drag on his self-rolled cigarette. Among his other unadvisable habits, Firefox also smoked nymphweed, a narcotic plant that grew in abundance in the Wayless Wood. It had prompted others to give him the nickname Fire-eyes because of how red his eyes got when he smoked it.

"If it's breathing in the stench from that thing for any longer, the answer is no." the Piper said from a distance.

Firefox laughed a little louder than was necessary. "No. See that maid there?" he pointed out a woman scrubbing the flagstones across the yard.

"Yes. Pretty little thing." the Piper held his breath and drew closer for discretion.

"That's Minerva. She's the only virgin in the whole fortress. And she's decided to keep it that way."

"I'm beginning to guess the nature of your preposition." the Piper's gaze toward Minerva because a little more predatory.

"Deflower her. If you can, you get a bag of silver." Firefox smiled challengingly. "IF you can."

"Oh, I can. Believe me, I can. I'll get started right now." the Piper turned and walked over to Minerva.

Minerva had heard that entire conversation and was thinking how stupid the two of them were when her downcast eyes saw a pair of expensive looking boots in front of her. She had dealt with this before and determinedly started scrubbing in a different direction. The boots followed her, but she refused to look up.

"Hello." A melodic voice said to her from above. Minerva mumbled hello back and kept scrubbing. Why did it have to be the Piper? He was the most famously persistent man of all the fire raisers.

"Why so shy? I'm not going to hurt you." he bent down and whispered in her ear. "I just want to talk."

"I don't have time to talk, sir. As you can see, I'm busy." she tried to move away, but the Piper followed.

"When won't you be busy?" he asked.

"I'm always busy." Minerva coldly replied.

"You can't always be busy." A tinge of annoyance crept into his voice.

"Yes, I am." she sat on her heels and looked him in the eye unflinchingly. "I am always busy and I always will be. Go find some other whore." she picked up her bucket and walked away, leaving the Piper looking shocked and Firefox laughing like a hyena.

***

The Piper led them along tortuously twisting roads until they finally reached a village.

"You had better be right about this." Firefox muttered to him as they stepped into the local tavern to start breaking a few fingers.

"Believe me. I'm sure she was here." his companion replied. They walked up to the bar.

"We need to know if a woman rode into town today." Firefox asked the bartender.

"She has hair like a moonless night and lips as full and red as rose petals. Her soulful dark eyes sparkle with perfection and her voice could be the voice of Aphrodite herself." the Piper added, gazing into space as if he could see Minerva in the dusty bottles of cheap liquor. Firefox and the bartender looked at him for a minute, then turned back to each other.

"She has dark hair and eyes. She was also riding a chestnut mare and would probably be heading for Ombra city." Firefox said.

The bartender considered. "We don't get many women in here. But there was one with dark hair and eyes in here earlier. Didn't catch the name. She your girlfriend or what?" he asked the Piper.

"You could say that."

"Hm. That's a prime slice of meat you got there." the Piper started to draw his sword but Firefox stopped him.

"Where can we find her" he asked, shooting a warning glance at the Piper.

"No idea. Didn't look like she wanted to stay long, either. Probably gonna leave tomorrow." the bartender walked off to serve someone.

"Shit. Okay, we'll take the rest of the day to search the village." Firefox said as they walked out. "And why must you be like that?"

"Like what?" the Piper retorted.

"She's as beautiful as Aphrodite and she sparkles with perfection." Firefox mimicked.

"It's true!" he spat.

"You don't have to tell everyone that! Have some subtlety!"

"You wouldn't know subtlety if it walked up to you and subtly smacked you across the face!

"How do you subtly smack someone across the face?!" they continued like this until nightfall. They had turned the village upside down, and still no Minerva.

"Did find her. So can we burn the village to the ground?" Firefox asked the Piper when they were approaching the local inn.

"No. We can't burn down the village." The Piper abruptly stopped walking.

"Why?" Firefox turned. "It'll be like a check-mark on the list. If a village is burned down, it means we checked there and didn't find Minerva. Very efficient, I think."

"No, I mean we can't burn down the village because it's already on fire." the Piper pointed at smoke rising a few blocks away.

Firefox gaped at it. "Did our people do that?

"No. We told them not to start any fires until we were done looking, remember?" The Piper said, his gaze also fixed on the fire.

"Well, if it wasn't us, who was it?! We're the fire raisers! We raise the fires!" he whined.

"I guess we should...go check it out?"

"Yeah, okay..." Firefox said vaguely. After a few seconds, he said, "WE should have started that! That should be OUR fire! GOD!"

"Yes, yes, of course we own the rights to all fire. Let's go beat the shit out of whoever's stealing our thunder." the Piper started dragging him towards the smoke.

"You mean stealing our fire."

"Right, right, our fire."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

By the time they got to the fire a whole building was ablaze. Firefox couldn't help but grin at the sight of the orange and red and yellow licking the skeleton of the building, consuming it. A wind blew through the street, making the fire burn brighter and his hair fly back as it brought his the smell of smoke and fire and death. He could almost hear the fire growl like a beast as it devoured its meal. Suddenly a peal of high, exhilarated laughter rang out, startling him from his reverie.

A young woman being dragged from the flames, head thrown back, not able to struggle because her body shook with her laughter. It was a sound of freedom, and sheer ecstasy. Her dark hair was on fire in some places, but was quickly patted out by the men restraining her. Her eyes shone with a manic light that seemed to burn like the fire.

"How did this fire start?" Firefox asked one of the men. The man jerked his thumb at the girl. Firefox walked over to stand directly in front of the girl and looked into her eyes. She had stopped laughing and looked into his eyes, a smile playing around her lips and a spark or two still unexstinguished in her hair.

"Who are you?" she asked him?

"Firefox." he answered. "Are you trying to do my job?" the girl looked at him a few seconds, then tilted her head back and laughed again. Firefox stopped a smile from coming to his lips and asked her, "Who are you?"

"Jocasta." she said.

"Why did you start this fire, Jocasta?" he asked her.

"This is the fifth fire she's started in as many years." one of her restrainers said angrily.

"Why have you been starting fires?" Firefox asked again.

"I like fire." Jocasta grinned. Firefox laughed.

"I like fire too." he agreed.

"Aw, true love!" the Piper interrupted. "Firefox, I think we've seen all we need to see here. Let's get back to the inn."

"Hold on, Piper." Firefox brushed him off. Jocasta was still smiling at him.

"FIREfox." she said contemplatively. "I like your name."

"Thanks. I think, if you want some better places to start fires, you could come with us."

"No. Absolutely not." the Piper tried dragging Firefox away again but couldn't.

"Yeah, I'd like that. But you may want to get these two guys off me first." Jocasta nodded her head to each of the men holding her.

"Right." Firefox drew his sword and slew the two men. Jocasta stood up. She was taller than the Piper, but not taller than Firefox. She was skinny, without much curve to her, and her face was pale with smooth skin stretched over high cheekbones. Firefox and, reluctantly, the Piper led her back to the inn. The Piper kept to himself, while Jocasta and Firefox took to each other right away. Jocasta had a mischievous nature and loved to laugh, which made Firefox feel good about his jokes, which as the walk wore on became more and more at the Piper's expense. When they got back the Piper left them and stormed upstairs to his room, where he flung himself down on the bed. And dreamed of Minerva...

***

_Minerva snuck out of the fortress early to collect mushrooms, in the hopes that she could avoid the Piper long enough for him to lose interest. She walked out of the gate and--_

_"Minerva, is it?" she jumped as she saw the minstrel leaning against the wall with his lyre on his back. "Going out? Me too."_

_"How convenient." Minerva couldn't help saying sarcastically. The Piper laughed._

_"Okay, you caught me. I want to play you some music while you go about your errand." The laugh had been oddly genuine, but Minerva just rolled her eyes and walked into the Wayless Wood. The Piper followed as she turned deeper and deeper into the maze of trees._

_"If you think I'm going to get scared and go back, you're much mistaken. I'm not afraid of the wood." he commented._

_"I don't care what you do. This is the way I always go to collect mushrooms." she said as she left the path and started pushing her way through the trees and bushes. The Piper hesitated, then followed. _

_He called ahead to her, "You know, I've seen at least two dozen mushroom patches on our way here. Do you even know where we're going? Or are you just trying to get me lost out here so you can ravish me and kill me so my body will never be found? Because Firefox knows I'm out here with you--"_

_"Shut up!" she turned around and the Piper bumped into her._

_"Sorry." he took a step away from her._

_"Go away!" she shouted, making a few birds fly out of their nests. She ran away, not even paying attention to where she was going. The Piper swore quietly and followed._

_Minerva ran for what must have been hours before she finally collapsed, panting, in a darkened clearing. Hadn't it been morning when she set out? Yes, early morning. Why was it dark? She heard the Piper crashing loudly behind her but couldn't muster the energy to get up. He ran out into the clearing, tripped over her and went flying._

_"OW!" They both shouted indignantly. The Piper sat up and brushed himself off. He'd never had to literally chase a woman. Minerva's ragged breath was the only sound as he waited for her to recover. Wait...his lyre! Shit! He quickly pulled it off and inspected it in what little light there was. Fairly undamaged. Just to check, he plucked a string and the clearing burst into light. He heard Minerva gasp as he struggled to adjust his eyes to the pale green light which quickly faded into a glow and left them in darkness again._

_"Music mushrooms." Minerva whispered. "The songs say music is what gives them their light. The better the music, the brighter the glow." the Piper smiled and began playing. The clearing was illuminated as brightly as if it were day. He didn't look at Minerva as he sang the song he had written the previous night._

_"I can't believe this moment's come, it's so incredible that we're alone. So much to be said and done, it's impossible not to be overcome. Will you forgive me if I feel this way? Cuz we just met, tell me that's okay." Minerva just stared at him as he sang. He really did have a beautiful voice. Like honey, fluid and sweet. A look of dreamy concentration came over his face as he sang, and he was so deep into it that he didn't notice the spider until it had crawled onto his leg._

_He shrieked and jumped up faster than Minerva thought was possible, frantically batting at the spider until Minerva rolled her eyes, plucked it off him, and crushed it between her fingers._

_"Thank you." The Piper's breathless voice came out of the darkness to which the grove had returned. Minerva strummed a few strings of his lyre and by the light she saw his face was white and his hands shook as he knelt to pick up his lyre. The look of pure relief and gratitude in his eyes was so overwhelmingly sincere she couldn't say anything for a few seconds. _

_"No problem." she muttered. "Um...can you play some more so I can pick these?"_

_"Yeah." he played a song without words this time, watching Minerva as she bent and filled her basket with mushrooms. They walked back to the fortress._


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey guys, I've been getting a lot of hits but not so many reviews. *puppy dog pout* Please? Thank you!

Chapter 5

Firefox crept into the Piper's room as quietly as--well, as quietly as a fox. The Piper was sound asleep, an empty wine bottle still in his hand.

"Is he up?" Jocasta was leaning against the door frame. "The townspeople will probably be pretty pissed off, seeing as the fire I started apparently destroyed half the village."

"Nope. He was up drinking last night. I doubt he'll be up before noon." Firefox sighed.

Jocasta rolled her eyes. "Come with me." she beckoned and disappeared from the doorway. He ran to follow her. "I have a couple alcoholic relatives," she continued as they descended the stairs to the inn courtyard. "What's his story?"

"He's not an alcoholic." Firefox protested as she knelt to pump a bucket of freezing cold water from the well. "He's going through a hard time right now. His girlfriend left him and he's been really depressed."

Starting back towards the inn, Jocasta called over her shoulder, "Sounds like my mom. She got like that when my dad left. And she never stopped."

Firefox felt a chill go through his body. What if they didn't fid Minerva? What if the Piper was like this forever? He and Jocasta returned to the Piper's room. Jocasta went around to the other side of the bed, hefted the bucket, and after meeting Firefox's eyes with that gleam in them for a second dumped the contents onto the bed and its occupant. The resulting shriek brought a few of the other fire raisers out of their rooms, mumbling sleepily.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" the Piper screamed at Jocasta who was laughing that exhilarated laugh she had when she set the fire the previous night.

"We have to go." she managed to say. "The villagers will want to punish me for the fire."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO FUCKING RUIN MY CLOTHES! THIS IS FUCKING SILK, YOU BITCH!!"

"Are you getting up, or do I have to refill this bucket?" she asked, now cooly meeting his outraged eyes. After a little more cursing, the Piper grudgingly got up and banished them from the room so he could dress.

"That wasn't quite necessary." Firefox remarked to Jocasta as he followed her downstairs for breakfast.

"If you're going to be boring, then don't take me with you. I'm bored enough here without you being judgemental about it." she said.

"No, it was pretty funny, I didn't mean to bore you." he hastily apologized.

"Good. Now let's go steal a horse for me to ride."

"We already have a couple spare horses for you to choose from."

"I don't want your horse. I want one horse in particular." she smiled a crafty, evil smile, eyes narrowed maliciously.

***

"That's the horse you want?" Firefox gazed at the horse from across the street from its stable. It was as fine a horse as any the Adderhead or the Laughing Prince had in their stables, with a glossy black coat and a white streak right down its nose. "Why exactly do you want that particular one?"

"It belongs to an ex-boyfriend. It's that stupid old pick-up horse he never let me ride, and I'm going to steal it!" she smiled gleefully. They quickly snuck into the stable. Jocasta swung herself up onto the horse and they were halfway out of the stable when a young man appeared beside them.

"Jocasta? What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded.

"Suck it, douchebag!" she screeched before galloping down the street laughing. Firefox looked at the youth staring after her helplessly, and took off in pursuit.

***

Jocasta stopped her horse in front of the inn. It reared, almost throwing her off, which only made her laugh harder. She dismounted as the Piper came running up to her.

"What the hell is that?!" he asked, pointing at the horse.

"I stole it!" she shouted triumphantly.

"What is wrong with you?!" he was momentarily lost for words, then saw Firefox running towards them and went to meet him. Jocasta dimly heard him, venting to Firefox as she went up to her room, where she had brought her possessions after sneaking back home in the middle of the night to claim them. Her knife, some incense and tarot cards, a couple changes of clothes, and a lockpick were all she had in the world now, along with a pack to carry them in.

She paused in the window to look down into the street. The Piper was still pissed, and Firefox had pulled out a flask and begun to drink. Firefox...he had the potential to be very cool. She allowed herself a small smile before she hurried back downstairs. Romano would be wanting his horse back, which meant they should skip town soon.

"Let's ride, you two." she announced when she got downstairs. As she was swinging herself onto her horse, the Piper made an indignant sound.

"We're not going anywhere until you return that horse."

Jocasta rolled her eyes and said, "Are you fire raisers or pussies? You don't have to follow the law! The law follows you!"

"Right and if we don't want the law to catch us we can't go around stealing horses we don't need." The Piper was obviously making an attempt to control his voice.

"Let it go." Firefox said. "She's not giving it back."

The Piper stared at him for a second, uncomprehending. "Are you serious?!" he drew Firefox aside. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Look at it this way. Not arguing about this will get us to Minerva faster." he reasoned.

After a long exhale and rubbing his eyes, the Piper conceded and Firefox went over to tell Jocasta the good news. The minstrel took a swig from his flask, leaned against the wall, and drifted off to sleep again...

***

_The Piper sat looking out a window as the full moon rose. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with Minerva. She must have thought he was a complete coward. He couldn't help it if he hated spiders...he shuddered as an unpleasant memory or being bitten by a spider when he was a boy flashed before his eyes. He had been screaming like a girl...and Minerva had saved him. When other people saw his reaction to spiders they just laughed. Firefox did. Maids who would do anything for him did. But Minerva just...didn't find another person's fear funny._

_That was it. She didn't like watching other people in fear and pain. She wasn't part of his world, of blood and evil and cruelty. She existed outside of that. In a world where decency existed. The other maids weren't there by force, they were hired by Mortola or captured and warped to the lifestyle. Minerva didn't want to be here._

_A thought struck him. The maids wouldn't be asleep yet. He dressed and slipped into the servant's quarters._

_Minerva was alone in the maid's dormitory when he found her. "Minerva." she always jumped when he heard his voice._

_"What are you doing here?!" she hissed. "You'll be in such trouble if you're found!"_

_"So it's not that you don't want me here, it's that you fear for my safety?" he gave her that grin that he knew infuriated her. _

_"Wh--I--Both!" she sputtered angrily._

_"Well, if you don't want me here, why don't I leave?"_

_"Yes, that would be--"_

_"With you, for a midnight horseback ride?"_

_Minerva just stared at him for a second. "WHAT?!"_

_"It's one of those, oh, what do they call it in more wholesome places..." he pretended to think a minute. "A date?" she just kept staring at him._

_"WHAT?!"_

_"You know. Me, you, the horses. They don't have to watch us, though." the grin again._

_"I'm not having sex with you." she said flatly._

_"Well then just to talk. As...friends."_

_"Stop smiling like that. And second, you'll just rape me once we get far enough away that people won't hear me scream." she accused._

_Suddenly the Piper was very serious. "I would never rape you." And for some crazy reason, she almost believed him. "If I truly was that desperate for sex, I'd find someone less difficult. I pride myself on getting all my sex willingly."_

_"I know you're only doing this for a bet! I heard you and Firefox talking in the courtyard!" Minerva shouted. He chuckled and took a step closer, still with that grin on his face._

_"Minerva. I never do anything just for a bet." Minerva felt the wall at her back as she backed away. He leaned against the wall above her, platinum blonde hair falling in his eyes as he looked down at her, faces inches apart. He had that look of fascination she'd seen him shoot her on the way back from the mushroom patch in his eyes, but more intense. "You have a certain...enigma to you." he started to lean forward, then stopped and walked over to the window. "Why are you here?" he asked suddenly._

_"I finished my chores--"_

_"No, no, I mean this fortress. How did you get here?"_

_Minerva hesitated. "I used to live on a farm with my parents and brother. Then one day Capricorn came and killed my family. He brought me here and made me work for Mortola. Every time I remember my family's house burning to the ground, I remember that I'm not going to be like the others and lose my virginity to some drunken fire-raiser!" she spat out the last part._

_"Hm." he turned back to her with that searching gaze. After a moment he shook his head as if to clear it, grinned that grin again and said, "You know, I'm technically a minstrel, not a fire-raiser." Minerva frowned. Just then another maid came in. Her eyes bugged out in surprise._

_"You bastard! You have me and then you never speak to me again, and then I find you with this COUNTRY WHORE!" she threw a nearby vase at the Piper and ran out crying._

_After she'd been gone a few seconds, Minerva turned back to the Piper. "Is that what you mean me to be in a few weeks?" she asked angrily._

_He looked surprised at the question. "No..."_

_"Get out!" she pointed at the door._

_"Why?" he persisted._

_"Because you use women and you sicken me. Now!" the Piper obeyed, and she slammed the door after him._

_Outside, the Piper was more fascinated than ever. Why on earth was she mad at him now? He walked up the stairs to the tower in a daze, wondering what he could have done to upset her. He'd never had to actually consider someone else's emotions before...She said he used women...did he think he was using her? Yes! Just as he got to his room he figured it out. His reputation must have preceded him. He turned and rushed back down to the maid's quarters. _

_"Minerva!" he cried as he came in. Noticing too late that all the other maids were in the room by then. A wave of whispers ran through the room as Minerva stood, horrified, frozen where she stood. "I need to talk to you!" he gestured for her to follow him, and she did._

_"I only came out here because I was too mortified to stay in there any longer. I have nothing to say to you."_

_"Minerva, I know you think I'm just using you, but I'm not! Anymore..." he trailed off._

_"Anymore." she said scornfully, trying to pull away, but he held on._

_"Wait! Today when we went into the woods, and you saved me from the spider..."_

_"Oh, god, I missed him get scared by a spider?" the maids were all looking out the door at them, laughing. "He's hilarious when that happens. Hey, whore," she asked Minerva, "was it like this?" she imitated the Piper's reaction to spiders. Minerva looked at the Piper, whose skin was white as paper. The maids he used didn't care about him at all. Did anyone?_

_"Let's talk somewhere else." she said softly. They walked out into the courtyard. He leaned against the wall to look up at the moon, and she stood beside him, not breaking the silence._

_"You can see why one wouldn't want to get too attached to any of the maids here. They never fail to disenchant eventually." he said suddenly._

_"I didn't think it was funny." Minerva said, suddenly feeling like she needed to vindicate herself._

_"I know you didn't." She hesitated, then reached out and touched his hand. An electric rush went through both their bodies. The Piper's head snapped around to look at her. There was a different look in his eyes now, one that made the rush go back through her body like lightning. He put his hand on her hip and gently pressed her into the wall. His other hand reached up and gently brushed her cheekbone, pushing her hair behind her ear and slowly traveling down her jaw, drawing her face closer to his as her eyelids fluttered shut, lips slightly puckered..._

_"Oh my god!" a screech came from an upstairs window. "He's going to have her in the courtyard!" Minerva and the Piper quickly stepped away from each other. The Piper, after a swift glance upward, turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Minerva to slowly slide down the wall until she was sitting in the courtyard listening to the laughter of the maids and the beating of her own heart._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They managed to get on the road before the horse's former owner got the police. Jocasta rode bareback, her hair flowing in the breeze. The PIper shot Jocasta a few dirty looks, thought whenever she caught him she just laughed.

"I don't like her." he muttered to Firefox after spurring his horse to the head of the party next to his.

"You don't like anybody." Firefox reminded him.

"I like Minerva." the Piper paused. "And you're fine too, I suppose."

"You think I fine? Really? Now I can die happy!" Firefox said with false joy. He turned and called, "Jocasta, guess what? The Piper thinks I'm fine!"

"My god! You have truly been blessed!" her tone was more mocking than Firefox's, who had only been mildly joking. "Oh, Piper, tell me, am I fine too? Because if I'm not, I'll just die, your majesty!"

"I really don't like her." the Piper said to Firefox. Firefox chuckled and sped his horse up, ending the conversation.

***

As they rode into the town, Firefox sensed something wasn't right. When the reached the town square, his suspicions were confirmed. A batallion of the Laughing Prince's guards had tied their horses there and were watching for any signs of wrongdoing. Firefox immediately signaled for retreat and they pulled back to the outskirts of town.

"What the fuck are they doing here?! What business has the king of Lombrica in this town?" the Piper dismounted and ran up to Firefox, speaking as loudly as his nerves would let him. Firefox, too, was still spooked, and he shushed him violently.

"Remember, we raided this village! The Laughing Prince knows where we are! And from the looks of it, it's only a matter of time before they find the fortress and throw us all in Ombra castle's dungeons! Piper, I know you love this woman, but the risk is too great. We must go back and prepare for a possible attack."

"NO!" the Piper shouted, making everyone in the group start. "You can go back, but I will not stop until I find her. I'll raze Ombra castle to the ground if I have to. And if you care for me as a friend at all, you will help me!"

"What are you talking about?" Jocasta appeared between them as if out of thin air.

"We're talking about finding the woman I love, you little--" the Piper started toward Jocasta but Firefox held him back.

"Sorry, he's distressed." Firefox apologized.

"FUCK YOU!" the Piper jumped on his horse and rode it off into the woods.

"Why is he always pissed off?" she asked.

"He's not always pissed off. Before Minerva left he was, dare I say, happy..." Firefox recalled.

***

The Piper came upon Firefox sharpening his knife by the fireplace of the great hall.

"How goes the conquest?" he asked cheekily.

After checking to make sure Minerva was nowhere near, the Piper whispered, "I haven't deflowered her yet, if that's what you mean!"

"Really? Well, if you can't--"

"I didn't say I can't! I'm just...savoring the experience." The Piper stuck his nose slightly into the air.

"The experience? The fucking experience? Since when do you savor experiences?" Firefox laughed.

"It won't be long. Seduction is like a hunt. I've hit her with an arrow, and now that she's slowed all I have to do is wait for my hounds to overtake her and bring her down. Then I'll catch up on my horse and snap her neck. After that I'll be able to take her back, eat her, and hang her head on my wall." the Piper looked over at Firefox's disturbed expression. "What?"

"You're tweaked. That's all I'll say. You're crazier than a red fairy." Firefox got up and walked away.

"What did I say?!" the Piper called after him.

***

Minerva woke before dawn that day and went out riding on a horse stolen from the stables. She needed to clear her head. She had stolen into the stables and slept there since she couldn't bear to face the other maids.

When the Piper had touched her...she shuddered at the memory. He had been so gentle, as if she might break if he wasn't careful. It made her want to...to...no. No, she had promised herself. He was the enemy. The enemy, with his stormy gray eyes, and that way he looked at her with them that made her blood run as powerfully as a river, with the current pushing her right toward him...No. Stop thinking like that. Bad thoughts. She reached a hill with an oak tree on it she loved to sit and think under. She settled herself into the trunk and closed her eyes for a minute.

The Piper, removing her clothes with that same tenderness he had touched her with...his mouth moving on her skin, the softness of his bed beneath her as he had her, and she shouted yes, take it, take it all!

"Take all what?" A voice startled her out of her dream. Firefox was sitting right next to her. What's more, the sun was high in the sky. How long had she slept?!

"I'm sorry, sir, I'll get back to work--" she started to get up, but he stopped her.

"Not so fast." he held her arm tightly.

"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered.

"You really shouldn't ask men that. It puts thoughts in their heads if they weren't already there. But I'm not going to do anything to you. The Piper would kill me. Is he who you were dreaming about?" his laughing eyes already know the answer. Minerva wrenched her arm away.

"Is that what this is about? Your little bet?!" she screamed. Firefox didn't deny it. "You dick! And he's a dick too! You're all dicks!" she screeched. It was like a wound had opened in her chest. She had thought...but no. It wasn't true. She had been tricked. She started to leave.

"Minerva!" the Piper had emerged from behind a tree. She picked up a rock and threw it at him with all her might. It missed and she turned and kept walking. Someone had taken her horse, so she strode off toward the Wayless Wood. Footsteps were right behind her, but she didn't give the bastard the satisfaction of acknowledgement.

"Minerva, listen to me!" he tried to touch her shoulder, but she started running. She couldn't let that touch enchant her again. She had reached the woods and just started going, not even trying to stay on the path. "I had Firefox call of the bet! I don't want this to be about a bet anymore!"

"Like I believe that!"

"It's true! I care about you! Do you think I'd be following you into this forest when you don't know where you're going for the second time in as many days if I didn't?"

"Why do you care about me?" she spun around to face him.

"Because you're the most innocent, kind, good person I've ever met. If I could, I would be like you." he answered.

"Shut up! Stop getting me to forgive you!" she ran away again, and he followed. As with the previous day, she collapsed eventually, but she just hugged her knees and refused to speak, pulling away whenever he touched her. He sat with her until night fell and Minerva was shivering with cold.

"Minerva, if we could huddle together, you'd be warmer."

"No." her voice had no expression, and neither did her face.

"At least take my cloak. Please." A cloak draped around her shoulders. It smelled good. Like he had the night before...she wrapped it around herself, unwillingly comforted by the Piper's warmth that still lingered. She shuffled back until she found a pile of soft bracken to lean on and fell asleep. The pile of soft bracken, which wasn't bracken at all but the Piper, waited until she was sound asleep to venture to stroke her hair and kiss her cheek before falling asleep as well.

***

The Piper sat moodily against a tree far away from where he had left Jocasta and Firefox. He let out an agonized little sigh. Minerva...Ever since she'd left, he had had an ache in his chest that seemed never to go away. Minerva's face was still etched in his memory. He closed his eyes to picture it better. He couldn't even find words to describe how beautiful she was. She was just...Minerva. Without knowing her, one could never truly understand how perfect she was.

"Minerva?" a female voice right next to him made him jump upright and over to the other side of the path before he realized it was Jocasta. She was perched on a log near the tree, looking up at him with big blue eyes full of false nonchalance. "Was that your girlfriend's name?"

Had he said her name aloud? He looked down and eventually nodded yes.

"Do you love her?" the Piper looked up in shock at the impertinent question. "I mean, really love her? True love, like in the songs?"

"That's hardly any of your business!" he retorted.

"Well, do you?" she persisted.

"Yes. More than I could ever put into words. She--" he broke off, shaking his head and sitting down. "She...she makes me feel like...like I can be a good person. She makes me want to be a good person. Yes. I love her. But love doesn't even begin to describe it, I'd need a new word to truly express it." He slumped back against the tree, exhausted by this display of emotion. When he looked up, Jocasta was watching him and nodding sagely.

"Just had to be sure." she stood. "I just had to be sure before I told Firefox I think we should look through the town anyway."

"Thanks." the Piper said. Jocasta nodded, walked back to her horse, and rode away. The Piper sat there awhile before following her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The fire raisers had set up a camp in the forest outside the town. No fires were allowed to avoid the Laughing Prince's men coming to investigate the smoke. Firefox looked up as the Piper stepped into his tent.

"Nice place you've got here." he smirked. "May I ask why the fox tails all over the door?"

"Like FireFOX. Get it, because it's my name?" Firefox smiled companionably, and they mutually accepted the fight was over.

"How are we going to find out if Minerva's in the town?" the Piper changed the subject.

"I sent a few men into the town who knows what she looks like. They should be back by nightfall." he lit a joint. "Want some? You seem to be loosening up lately."

"The smoke will ruin my voice. I'll pass. I need some of your wine stash, though, if you didn't drink it all while I was gone." The Piper sat on Firefox's bed, and reaching under found a bottle of wine. He uncorked it and made himself at home guzzling it.

Firefox leaned his chair back and took another drag. "What do you think of Jocasta?" he asked.

"She's a crazy bitch. But underneath that I think there's a nice girl who wants to be loved. And under that is an even crazier bitch." the Piper paused. "But...under that...I think there's another nice girl."

"Huh. I hadn't considered the nice girl part. I was only attracted to the crazy bitch. If I can handle her."

"The question is, can you handle the nice girl?" the Piper added. "And by the way, isn't she a bit young for you."

"It think she's 19 or so. 6 years difference, give or take. Not that bad."

"Hm. Minerva's actually a year or two older than me. You wouldn't know it, though." the Piper's speech was starting to slur. "She's so great..."

"You've told me." Firefox rolled his red-rimmed eyes.

"Have I told you about her eyes?

"Soulful, loving, etcetera."

"Yes." The Piper had finished the wine and his head was drooping. "Mmm...Minerva..." he fell back on the bed and Firefox resigned himself to sleeping on the ground.

***

_Minerva woke up with her head on someone's chest. She looked up an saw the Piper, face as relaxed and innocent as an angel's in sleep. For a minute, all was right with the world and she began to settle back into him when she remembered he was a manipulative bastard. She pushed away from him and shouted, "How dare you!"_

_After the initial confusion of waking up, the Piper answered, "You leaned on me." Had she? It was dark...oh god...she stormed off to sit under a tree a ways away. She sat there for a while before he eventually said, "What do I have to do to get you to see I'm not just using you?!"_

_"I don't know." she refused to look at him._

_"If I have you and don't leave you, then will you believe me?"_

_"You'd have to have me first. And I won't let you have me until I believe you." An impasse, then. Well, if trust wouldn't work, he'd use his usual tactics._

_He rose and went to her, kneeling beside her and using gloveless fingers to turn her face towards his. He felt the rush, and knew she did too._

_"I will never hurt you." he whispered, and he meant it. She tried to pull away for a minute, but stopped, still not looking at him. "Look at me." his voice in her ear was like a caress engulfing her entire body. She heard her breath being let out as she shuddered, and she realized her eyes had glazed over. Breath on her neck as he nuzzled her. As his lips met her neck she gave up and let out a little moan of pleasure. She felt teeth graze her skin as he was incensed by the sound._

_"Minerva." he said into her ear, his tone one of pure need. She couldn't take it anymore and turned her face down so their noses touched. Brown eyes met gray, and they saw the same feral look in each other. He cupped her head in his hand as he kissed her, gently, oh so gently, and she tangled her fingers in his hair and pressed her lips to his harder, trying to devour him as she deepened the kiss. His hands travelled downward, caressing every curve._

_"Take me." she said huskily, tearing her lips from his. His hand returned to the back of her head as he let out a gasp of desire and slammed her back into the kiss. He pressed her body against the trunk of the tree and she could feel every inch of him against her. Something hard pressed into her urgently, and she started to wrap her thighs around him to get it closer--_

_"No." his grip loosened, his face was suddenly far away. "Not here."_

_"Why?" she should have been embarrassed at the begging in her voice._

_"We'll do it back at the castle. In a proper bed." he promised._

_"Why?" she was whining now._

_"I want to do this right." they looked at each other as their breathing softened, two masses of lust longing to become one. Eventually they separated and made their way back to the fortress, never fully breaking physical contact, promising to meet up in the Piper's room that night. Before they went in the gate he quickly pinned her to the wall and gave her one last burning kiss before they rounded the corner._

_***_

_A bag of silver clinked onto the table as the Piper was eating some breakfast._

_"I know we called off the bet, but keeping her in the woods for over 14 hours deserves a reward. How many times did you do it?" Firefox leaned over the table, eagerly awaiting details._

_"We didn't have sex." the Piper replied._

_Firefox blinked a few times. "What?"_

_"We didn't have sex. We're going to tonight." the Piper enjoyed the shocked expression on his face._

_"Capricorn's having a party tonight, remember? You have to sing." he reminded._

_"Shit, I forgot..."_

_"Well, I guess you better cancel your little tryst tonight." the look in his eyes was serious._

_"Fine. She'll be mad about this, though..." the Piper conceded._

_"Who cares?" Firefox snorted. "You'll get her back as easily as you did in the forest!"_

_"I don't want to resort to seduction to get out of every problem I have with her. It seems...low."_

_"O...kay?" Firefox looked at him oddly and left. The Piper reluctantly went to find Minerva._

_***_

_"You WHAT?!" Minerva shrieked._

_"I promised..." the Piper mumbled a few excuses, shuffling his feet like a child caught misbehaving._

_"I can't believe you! When I finally want sex you keep finding ways to postpone it!" he thought for a second, and decided seduction as a tool for getting out of trouble wasn't so bad._

_"I don't want to postpone it." he purred as he moved closer and brought his forehead to hers, gray eyes glazed with longing. "I desire you more than I can describe." his hands ran through her hair, making her shiver._

_Minerva couldn't breathe. Her body, moving of it's own free will, stretched up to kiss those sweet talking lips._

_"Oh my god! He had her in the forest and now he's going to have her in the kitchen!" the same maid from two nights ago shrieked in the doorway. The lovers hissed in irritation and drew apart._

_"If by some chance I get out of the party, I'll find you." the Piper promised. He slipped his hands into hers and gave them an affectionate squeeze before leaving to prepare for the party._

***

The Piper woke with a start. Minerva...It had been so real... He looked down and saw Firefox asleep on a pallet. He remembered something, and a wave of anxiety went through him.

"Firefox!" he shook him hard, but he didn't wake. "FIREFOX!" he shouted. Then he remembered something else. With an evil little smile, he rushed outside, grabbed the first bucket he found, and headed for a river they had found the previous day. As he approached it, he heard splashing, and saw a flash of dark hair...Was it? Could it be?

"Minerva!" he rushed out only to find Jocasta bathing in the river. She screamed. The Piper didn't respond to the insults she spat at him, but filled the bucket with ice cold river water and went back to the tent where Firefox was stirring.

"You're awake?" he asked disappointedly.

"Yes. What's the bucket for?" Firefox asked.

The Piper hesitated for a minute before replying, "This!" and pouring the water onto him.

"AAAUGH! WHAT THE FUCK! I WAS AWAKE!"

"Didn't want to waste it." replied the Piper simply. "Now, you said men went into the village to look for Minerva. Where are they now?"

"They didn't come back?...they should have been back by nightfall." Firefox said slowly. "Shit. What happened to them?"

"Let's go find out." he sighed. They saddled their horses and rode into town, careful to keep their heads up and faces down to avoid recognition.

"Didn't take too long to find the men." Firefox said darkly. The Piper looked up and saw three forms hanging from the gallows. "There's Plotdevice! Maybe he can tell us what happened." he waved Plotdevice over.

"Minerva was here." he told them as soon as they had retreated to a dark alley. "The men went to get her but she managed to get to some guards. Once she told them they were fire-raisers, they were killed immediately."

"Damn! Those were good men!" Firefox exclaimed.

"Where is Minerva now?" the Piper persisted.

"She rode away. She would be a mile or so away by now."

"We have to follow her. We'll catch up to her with only two of us. Come on!" he turned and saw a menacingly well-armed group of the Laughing Prince's soldiers blocking their way.

"Well, well, Piper. What a coincidence, meeting you here." the leader stepped forward. "And Firefox. How wonderful." he chuckled as the soldiers slowly advanced...

***

_Capricorn came up and hugged the Piper as soon as he was finished with his first set. He was already so drunk he couldn't speak coherently anymore, so the Piper smiled and extracted himself. Glumly picking up his lyre, he began to play again. He hate these things. Play a few songs no pays attention to, get bags under your eyes from staying up so late, and hope the fire-raisers are too drunk to actually hit you with what they're throwing. He had a great job. He straightened suddenly as he saw Minerva bringing more food out from the kitchen. He abruptly stoppped playing and the fire-raisers and Minerva gradually fell silent and looked at him._

_"I'm going to play a different sort of song now. It's not about war, it's about something different...something not many of you have probably experienced." he plucked out a tun and sang, "Well, you done done me and you better felt it, I tried to be chill but you so hot that I melted,"_

_Minerva was bolted to the spot. Was he singing about her? From the way his eyes darted to her every few seconds, the answer was probably yes. A deep flush covered her face._

_"And I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I'm yours." she realized with a start that it was true. He was hers. The Piper, famed for his promiscuity, and owner of the most beautiful voice in Lombrica or Argenta, was hers. Before she knew what she was doing, she was hurrying to where he sat, seeing him look up in confusion as she approached, kissing his lips, feeling him stiffen with surprise, then relax into the kiss..._

_"Oh my god! He's going to have her in the great hall!" the voice of the maid was the only sound in the hall as the Piper picked Minerva up bridal style and without removing his mouth from hers, carried her up to his bedroom._

_***_

_When they got to his door, the Piper set her down on her feet and quickly slipped inside, promising to be out in a minute, he just needed to get a few things ready. Minerva waited impatiently. A couple of drunken fire-raisers had followed her up and they laughed when they thought he had left her outside. Finally the Piper returned and led her inside. Minerva gasped. He had lit candles all over the room. The bed had black silk sheets, a web of black silk thread woven around diamonds serving as a canopy above. A harp stood in one corner, which a gang of enslaved fairies miserably strummed on._

_"You did all this for me?" she whispered._

_"The bed was already like that. I sleep as I live: in style. But the candles and fairies are for you. Like I said, I want to do this right." he was blushing. Blushing! He started to say something else, but Minerva broke him off with a kiss, dragging him over to the bed and pulling him down on top of her. He responded instantly, running his hands over first her face, then downward to caress her breasts. Minerva moaned into his lips and she felt that hardness pressing into her once again. She reached for his shirt and undid the buttons. He shrugged it off and pulled her blouse over her head, their lips breaking contact for a second as it came off._

_Now they could feel each other's hammering hearts inside warm flesh. The Piper's muscled arms crushed her to him. Her fingernails were scratching his back as she feverishly moved her lips against his, tongue tasting him._

_By now her skirt had come off. He slowly stroked from the inside of her knee down to where her slender thigh met her body, and she was consumed with lust so powerful she had no thought other than touching him and being touched by him. Finally, finally, they were both naked and the Piper paused once more, whispering in her ear, "You're sure you want this?"_

_"Yes." she ground against him, feeling that hardness throbbing with need, trying to get it in._

_"This will hurt, but only for a second. Just a little push, okay?" He couldn't believe he'd managed to stop and ask her. He was so close to possessing her, he had to use all his will to keep him from plunging inside that softness, and when she nodded for him to enter he groaned with relief. She gave a little gasp of pain, but instinct took over and he began thrusting and sucking her neck. With each thrust, rewarding waves of bliss rolled through his body. Over his own heavy breathing, he could hear Minerva moan and felt her wrapping her legs around his hips to bring him closer._

_With the initial burst of pain, Minerva had doubted her decision for a second, but the pain quickly turned to pleasure. As he plunged deeper and deeper, pushing her farther and farther out of her mind, she wanted it faster, harder; she wanted to be pulverized by his thrusts. He began to thrust harder, as if he had been reading her thoughts. The pleasure was building up as if against a dam...just when she thought she couldn't physically endure any more, the dam broke and she let out a whoop of release as her whole body shook. He exploded inside her and gasped, "Minerva. Oh god, Minerva!"_

_For a minute they just lay there, gasping. When he regained his powers of speech the Piper said, "Wow."_

_"That was...indescribable." Minerva shifted so her head was on his chest. He absently stroked her hair._

_"Is that a good thing?" he asked softly._

_"A very good thing. I--I've never felt so--" Minerva sighed at the memory and nuzzled herself closer to him. "Incredible. It was incredible."_

_"You like it?" he breathed into her hair._

_"I loved it." she stretched up to kiss him. When they separated, he smiled back at her, a genuine, caring smile, eyes so sweet and loving Minerva thought her heart would break if she kept looking into them. So she kissed him again._

_"You're so beautiful." he whispered._

***

"Last time I saw you, you were running away from violating my daughter." the soldier's voice became venomous while his face remained pleasant. "And Firefox. You and your master Capricorn have been giving the Lombrican countryside some trouble. The Laughing Prince hand picked this group out of the survivors of your raids. Each and every man here has lost a loved one to you."

"You bastard!" interrupted one of the men, who drew his sword and ran at Firefox. The others drew their weapons as well, and soon the three fire-raisers were encircled.

"Piper, you can't use a sword!" Firefox muttered eyeing the sword in his friend's hand.

"I sort of can...I've watching you..." Firefox exhaled. "Well, I'm not that good..."

"Look, Plotdevice and I will keep them occupied. Try to get out of the circle and run like hell!"

"I'm not leaving you!" the Piper hissed.

"Hey, why are we standing here? Let's get them!" A particularly intelligent mat at arms realized. The other soldiers, with mumblings of "Oh yeah," and "Forgot," attacked, cutting off all conversation.

Firefox managed to kill both the man that attacked him first and the Piper's attacker. Then two threw themselves at him at once and they managed to tackle him to the ground. He felt a cut in his arm as the Piper's sword plunged through the chest of one of them. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed the other, who had paused to look for his companion's killer. Plotdevice had felled two already and as the remaining five closed in the fire-raisers formed a triangle facing outward.

"Keep them alive! We have to take them to the Laughing Prince, to be made an example of by hanging from the gallows of Ombra Castle!" Gregorio called from where he watched. The men quickly disarmed the Piper and Plotdevice. Soldiers held swords to each of their throats until Firefox finally surrendered. The men at arms were dragging them off when an arrow sprung out of Gregorio's chest. He toppled to the ground as two more fell in quick succession. A high, exhilarated laugh rang out through the alley.

The final three turned to see Jocasta stepping out of the shadows with a crossbow in her hands. She shot all but one before they got to her, but one grabbed her bow away. He raised his sword for a killing blow when Firefox beheaded him in one stroke.

"Are you all right?" he put his hands on Jocasta's shoulders.

"Yeah, are you kidding?" she asked.

"Oh. Okay." he awkwardly kept his hands on her shoulders for a few more seconds before hastily removing them. "Plotdevice, go back to camp and tell them to follow the Piper, Jocasta and I due north. We'll set off immediately." Plotdevice nodded and left.

"Piper..." Jocasta tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes?" he replied. She slapped him.

"That's for catching me in the river." she snapped.

"Sorry." he said hastily. They walked back to their horses and rode off after Minerva.

***

_Minerva woke up later than a maid was ever allowed to wake. The Piper held her tightly while asleep next to her. She shifted up so she could stroke his face. That constant air of superiority, the roguish smile, they were all gone, his face swept clean of the awful air of this place. She gently kissed each of his eyelids and felt his long lashes under her lips. As she moved away, the fluttered open and met hers._

_"Good morning." he smiled at her and drew her head back down for a kiss. Then he sat up and rubbed his face. "What time is it?"_

_"Uh..." Minerva was suddenly overcome with apprehension. Her own words from in the forest came back to her. The only way for her to be sure he cared was for him to have her and not leave her. She had never ensured that before they had sex..._

_"What's wrong?" the Piper turned to look at her, confused. Had it been that evident in her voice? She started to say something, but stopped. "Minerva?" he lay back down on his side, cupping her face in his hands._

_"I--uh--d-do you want me to go?" she asked shakily._

_"No! Stay!" he moved closer and put his arms around her as if to keep her from leaving. "I want you to stay here forever." She almost laughed at the absolute seriousness in his voice._

_"Okay, I'll stay." she grinned and snuggled into him. "Forever."_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys, I see that I've been getting a lot of hits, but not that many reviews. I'd really like to hear from my readers, about what I do well, and what I don't do well, so please take the time to comment. Thank you!_

They rode until nightfall, when they were forced to stop at a roadside inn. The Piper took a few wine bottles and miserably retired to his room. Jocasta's room had fumes from her incense coming out from under the door, so Firefox didn't venture inside. He decided to forage ahead a ways, so he saddled his horse, Smokeshine, and set out on the road. Glancing to the side of the road, he saw the glow of a fire in the Wayless Wood, deep in the darkness where only a moss-woman or a maid of Mortola skilled at finding obscure plants would dare venture. He dismounted, tied Smokeshine to the nearest tree, and prayed he would be back for her in the morning before plunging into the gloom.

***

Minerva shivered. She wished she could cut some more wood, but the songs said that the Wood took anyone who took too much from it. Besides, she was always cold lately. She couldn't help but remember another night in this same forest, and a warm cloak around her shoulders that smelled of the resin minstrels used for their lyre strings and fancy perfume giving way to a faint smell of sweat from chasing after her...

A twig snapping yanked her out of her memories. She looked around wildly, stomach beginning to go cold with fear. She had seen a good portion of the things that walked below these trees, and few of them were friendly.

"There you are." Firefox stepped out of the shadows in front of her and her insides twisted into a knot. "We've been looking all over for you." his eyes were dark and his mouth stern; his tone betrayed anger. She said nothing but began slowly moving away. Firefox stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "You're coming back with me."

"No." she protested. He gripped her arm harder. "Why can't you just let me go? Why do you want your friend to have a baby to take care of?!" she asked incredulously.

"Because my friend loves you. He loves you and you destroyed him." Firefox's face was contorted with rage. "Why can't I let you go? Because I hate you. I hate you for what you did to him. If I could, I would kill you where you stand. But instead, you _will_ come back with me and attempt to undo the damage you've done."

Minerva froze for a second, but recovered. "He told _you_ he loves me?" she asked skeptically. Firefox thrust her away from him in disgust.

"I've known the Piper for years. We grew up together, in the same village. He has never said the words "I love you" to anyone but you before. Until the night you left, no one had ever seen him cry. _Are you even pregnant?!_" he suddenly shouted. "_Or did you just want an easy way to get out of the fortress?_"

"How dare you!" she screamed. "I love Ivo with every part of my soul. I'm doing what's best!" Firefox just stared.

"That's the Piper's real name." he whispered.

"Yes. He told it to me." Minerva said smugly.

Firefox exhaled, as if the full weight of the situation had fallen on him. "If it's the other maids you're afraid of, I'm in charge now. I can keep them away from you." he sounded almost pleading now. "We'll take care of the baby, many of the maids have children. Please. For Ivo." the name sounded almost sacred coming from his mouth.

Minerva didn't move, her emotions roiling inside her. Ivo was hurt somewhere...but what kind of future could her bastard child have? Despite her doubts, when Firefox led her and her horse back to the road, she didn't resist.

***

Firefox brought her to the Piper's bedchamber and wordlessly opened the door and shut it after her. Minerva cautiously but eagerly walked to the bed and climbed onto it. When she saw his sleeping face, tears sprang to her eyes. Instead of the serene innocence she was used to, there was a deep sadness in his face as he muttered wordlessly in a nightmare. She wholeheartedly embraced him, crying out "Ivo!" as she broke into sobs. She felt him stir and fingers ran through her hair tentatively. He brought his nose to it and sniffed gently. Then he pushed her away slightly to see her face. His eyes held the same sadness.

"You really shouldn't come to me in these dreams." he whispered. "It makes waking up so much harder."

"Ivo, this isn't a dream! Firefox found me! I'm back!" she waited while he pinched himself tentatively. He flinched in pain and looked up at her wonderingly.

"Minerva." a broad, true smile spread across his face. She felt the chill inside her dissipate like morning dew before the rising sun as he pulled her to him and held her tighter than he ever had before, whispering her name over and over again.

The muscle in his chest that had been so tense lately relaxed as the Piper held her soft form in his arms, but it wasn't long before he became dissatisfied with that and rolled Minerva over so he was on top of her. Fiercely kissing her, remembering the way her body moved beneath his,he stroked in just the right places to show her why she should never have left. It worked; they ripped each other's clothes off in a frenzy and made love with such intensity that Firefox, two floors down, could feel the walls shake as he poured himself another goblet of wine.

Jocasta knocked on the door and entered. "What the hell is going on up there?!" she asked, looking up with a mixture of curiosity and disgust on her face.

"Minerva's back." Firefox said tonelessly. He drained his glass in one gulp.

She whistled. "He's more virile than I gave him credit for." she grinned, but stopped when he just poured himself more wine. "Jealous?" At the query, Firefox stalked out of the room. Jocasta shrugged and went back to her room to try to meditate amid the commotion.

***

"What made you come back?" the Piper finally brought his lips away from hers to ask.

"Firefox told me how miserable you'd been without me. Life had been just as bad for me, so I decided to stop torturing myself. I was dying without you." Minerva murmured, snuggling into his chest and breathing in the smell she'd been missing.

"I love you so much, Minerva." he lifted her chin and traced her lower lip with his thumb. His eyes were full of longing, and he leaned in to give her a deep kiss. When they stopped, he started to say something, hesitated, and continued, "You won't leave me again, will you?"

"Never."

"The baby?"

"We'll work it out somehow." she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again. "Maybe love can be enough." he smiled, and she saw trust in his eyes.

"I love you." The warmth she felt when he said those words! Three of the most simple words in the world, and the most overused, but to her ears they sounded brand new and unworn. She smiled back and kissed him, and this time they didn't stop.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The ride back to the fortress was relatively fast compared to the journey from, considering they didn't have to stop and search each town. The one time they stopped to water the horses, Firefox paused to observe the Piper and Minerva. They were on separate sides of the clearing with their respective horses. While Minerva remained focused on her task, the Piper kept glancing across at her, as if to make sure she was still there. When Minerva finally looked over at him, he smiled, in a way Firefox had never seen him smile before.

He walked over to her, and she straightened, unconsciously fiddling with her hair and smiling shyly. He stroked her horse's mane and said something, which she laughed at. Then he reached out and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, murmuring gently. They drew closer without meaning to, smiling into each other's eyes. The Piper started to lean towards her but Minerva put her finger to his lips, eyes darting around the group and finally coming to rest on Firefox. He quickly looked away. When he looked back, they were grabbing a blanket from the Piper's bag and heading into the woods like two peasant lovers.

"Makes you sick, doesn't it?" he jumped as Jocasta suddenly appeared beside him.

"I thought you said, what was it, that what they have is once in a lifetime, the kind of love that lasts forever? Soul mates, I believe, is the term you used." Firefox replied sardonically, ending on a bitter note.

"It's true, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. And I'm not stupid, you're just as glad as I am that the Piper's out of that spiraling depression." she reminded him.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

***

Minerva wished there weren't a town so close by. The Piper had decided it was too close for clothes to come off. She could feel that he was frustrated by his own rule as his kisses became more aggressive and he brought her close enough to feel his bulge through their clothes. She ran her hands down his back to squeeze his ass. He made a noise that could only be described as a growl and grasped her hips, drawing her even closer until she thought her skirt would rip. When she started removing his clothes, he shuddered and murmured, "Thank you," as he slipped her skirt down, not bothering with her top.

He penetrated her furiously, moaning without trying to hide it. Minerva bit her lip so she wouldn't scream, but as she neared the climax she forgot about even that as she tensed in expectation. They came at the same time, unable to make a sound as all thought was swept from their minds.

He slid down and rested his head on her breasts, smiling that droopy eyed smile of absolute contentment he always had just after sex. Minerva stroked his hair while their breathing returned to normal.

Eventually he sat up and said, "They'll probably be ready to move on back there."

"Probably." Minerva smiled and beckoned him back down. He grinned and gathered her into his arms, their faces inches apart.

"I love you." he always smiled so sweetly when he said it. And it made her smile like such a fool to hear him say it.

"I love you too." she brought her face closer so their noses touched.

"How much?" he asked her, running his fingertips gently across the surface of her skin.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Minerva replied. Joy rose in her as she realized it was true. She went on, "It doesn't matter what else happens to me besides that. I want to be with you until I die, and when the White Women take me into their kingdom I'll wait until you come so I can enter the Land Beyond Death with you! I'll never let myself be separated from you again."

"So you'll marry me?" his voice was hushed as if they were in a church. He was blushing, and Minerva could feel his heart beating fast next to her own.

"Are you serious?" she breathed. He nodded, the blush getting deeper. "Oh, Ivo, yes! Yes, yes, yes!" she tackled him and started kissing him all over. He laughed and kissed her back. They rolled in the grass in sheer ecstasy until a couple children came through the clearing picking berries and screamed, making them hastily get their clothes back on and run back to the clearing, laughing like lunatics.

***

"Where the fuck were you?!" Firefox shouted at them as soon as the Piper and Minerva got back. He had had to wait almost an hour later than he would have liked, and he had the sneaky feeling he should get back to the fortress as soon as possible.

"We're getting married!" the Piper shouted triumphantly.

"I love weddings." remarked one of the men.

"Could you have found a better time to propose?" Firefox asked rhetorically. "I told you I wanted to get back to the fortress by midday!" When the Piper just grinned and helped Minerva onto her horse, he gave up and gave him a clap on the back in congratulation before mounting his own horse.

***

As they rode closer to the fortress, the Piper spurred his horse up to Firefox's. He wore that insufferably smug smile on his face along with his usual finery. "Are you jealous of Minerva?" he asked eagerly.

"No." Firefox tried to ride ahead, but the Piper matched his pace.

"You're lying!" he sang sweetly.

"Fuck you!" he retorted as he took swig out of his flask.

"I knew it! Why?" the Piper asked bemusedly. "When she was just the maid I was fucking, it wasn't anything to be jealous of. You'll still get time in my glorious presence. I'm marrying her, not chaining my ankle to hers! I'm sure you can handle seeing my devilishly handsome face a few less times every day."

Firefox slowed his horse. "First: You're an arrogant asshole."

"Agreed."

"Second: you told her your name." This made the Piper pause for a second.

"You know it too." he returned. "You two are the most important people in this world to me. Actually, you're the only two I give a fuck about, and if you're trying to bring that number back down to one just to stroke your own ego, then you're a dick!"

Firefox looked back at him. There was hurt and a tinge of anger in his eyes. He checked on the men. They knew something was up and were staying far behind. Minerva started to ride up but the Piper waved her back and she reluctantly went.

"Ivo." he whispered.

"Fabio." Ivo said defiantly.

Firefox exhaled. "I don't--" he paused. "Do you remember when we were ten and your father came home drunk and broke your nose?" the Piper blanched at the memory. "When you came, bloody and crying to my house, I promised I'd never let anyone hurt you that badly again. When...she..." he glanced back at Minerva, "left, I broke that promise."

"You were the one who brought her back." the Piper reminded him.

"Still. I don't trust her."

"She loves me as much as I love her, of that you can be sure. She won't leave me again."

Firefox rubbed his forehead. "Don't ask me to like her. I will tolerate her, for you." he conceded.

"Thank you." they regarded each other, then ended the conversation in typically blunt, male fashion.

"So...we cool?" Firefox asked.

"We cool." the Piper replied. "Race you to the fortress?" Firefox laughed and kicked his horse to a gallop. The rode the last two miles back at full speed, wind whipping at their clothes and snatching their whoops of exultation out of their mouths to float back to the rest of the group.

***

When they crested the hill just above the fortress, Firefox stopped his horse abruptly. The Piper kept going but stopped as soon as he saw the new flag flying from the tower. Capricorn's banner had been pulled down and a new one with a great, yellow eye flew in the wind. He knew who it belonged to.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Firefox shouted. His voice echoed up to the fortress and down the road to the soldiers, who abruptly stopped before urging their horses toward their home to find out who had control of it now.


	10. Chapter 10

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Thank you. 3, persianprincess11

Chapter 10

"Who the hell's flag is that?" the Piper asked.

"Anzio. I was warned he would try to take over if I left." Firefox scowled. "I didn't listen." he glared up at the banner as if it bore Anzio's face.

"Anzio has no chance of keeping control. Everyone knows you were Capricorn's choice of successor; no one will stick with him no that we're back." the Piper reassured him.

A galloping behind them signaled the rest of their party riding up to them. Minerva cast the Piper a questioning glance, which he returned with a slight, encouraging smile.

"What are your orders, sir?" Plotdevice inquired.

"We're marching right into myfortress and taking it back, or course. Anzio's little power game is over." Firefox said, grimly kicking his horse to a gallop and riding toward the castle. The Piper motioned for Minerva to stay behind as Jocasta and the soldiers followed.

"What's wrong? Whose banner is flying from the tower?" Minerva asked as soon as they were alone.

"This guy who used to be our friend." the Piper ran his fingers through his hair in worry. "We had a falling-out with him a few years after we left our village with him to join with Capricorn. He's a formidable enemy, as he's proven to us many times over."

"Does this mean we have to delay getting married?" she asked.

"Definitely. I think our baby may be the least of our worries right now." the Piper said ominously, looking out across the field to where Firefox was just reaching the gates.

***

Firefox rode up to the fortress and dismounted, striding angrily over to where two guards stood just inside the locked metal gates.

"I'm back." he stood with his arms folded and waited. When the guards made no move to receive him, he shouted, "Let me in!"

"Ah, Firefox." Anzio strolled up to the gate from where he had been standing in the shadows. He and Firefox were inches apart, separated by the gates. Anzio could see Firefox's brilliant blue eyes burning into him, and Firefox looked deep into Anzio's cold yellow ones with determination that almost made him falter. "I trust you had a safe journey." he remarked sardonically.

"Wonderful." Firefox replied with mock civility. "Would you kindly open the door? The guards seem to have forgotten that I am master until Capricorn's return."

Anzio chuckled. "Firefox, Capricorn is never coming back. An thus, I need not heed his wishes about who is to rule in his stead. That's the problem with that kind of wish, no matter how feared you are in life, you have no power to make them come true."

"If you don't let me in, I swear to you I will tear down these walls and drag your dead body in the dust. I will not rest until you and all those who follow you are dead and their bodies torn apart and scattered to the winds so the White Women can never take your souls to peace!'" Firefox hissed vehemently, spit spraying onto Anzio's face. Anzio hesitated, then stiffened his resolve.

"No, Firefox. Now get away from my gates or I'll have my men chase you away." he backed away and started to leave. Firefox roared and shook the bars with all his might, but Anzio signaled for the fire-raisers to come pouring out of corners bristling with weapons, and he forced himself to turn away, mount his horse, and speed off in the opposite direction he had come.

Out of the corner of his eye, Firefox saw a flash of dark hair that was Jocasta on her stolen horse, the only animal in the party aside from the Piper's that could keep up with Smokeshine. When he passed him on the hill, the Piper, too galloped beside him until they reached the fringe of trees that marked where the fire-raisers had used the forest that had once surrounded the fortress for their fires. Here he dismounted and, reverting to a childhood form of escape, climbed one of the trees, reaching the highest boughs just before the Piper and Jocasta caught up.

The Piper, used to this by now, climbed up after him. Jocasta followed with a bit more difficulty.

"You can't hide up here anymore, Firefox." the Piper said gently.

"I know." he replied.

"Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on here?!" Jocasta called as she held onto a lower branch.

"An old enemy of ours has staged a coup and I've lost control of the fortress." Firefox grimaced.

"Well, this is proving to be an interesting week." she grumbled, blowing upwards to get her bangs out of her face.

"Where do we go? We can't just camp out here with no supplies." the Piper reminded him.

"I know. How many of us are left?"

"Everyone joined with Anzio. Now it's only us and Minerva." Firefox closed his eyes and nodded.

"Okay. We'll go home then."

"Home?" the Piper asked confusedly.

"Home?!" Jocasta protested. "I am not going back there!"

"Not your home, Jocasta." Firefox turned to the Piper. "Our home. Lorenzia."

"Holy shit." the Piper's blood froze. "You know our parents are probably still there?"

"Yup."

"And everyone we grew up with?"

"I realize that."

The Piper made the sign against evil across his chest. "Give me that flask of yours." he took a deep swig out of Firefox's wineskin.

"Hey, at least you don't have any exes there. You started that whole casanova thing after we left."

"Because those girls knew who I was...oh shit, you'll have to deal with that one girl, what's her name...."

"Domenica." Firefox whispered. "But we don't have much of a choice. It's the closest town and the only one we know will lodge us indefinitely."

"Ivo?" Minerva had ridden to the base of the tree. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes." the Piper called back. He swung himself down to the lowest branch, leaning down so his face was inches from hers. "You know how you wanted to meet my parents?" he paused to make his hands stop shaking. "You're going to get your wish."

"Oh!" Minerva beamed. "That's wonderful."

"Mm." he made a little sound and nodded. Firefox jumped from his branch to the ground, landing like a cat.

"Right. We'll need to ride hard if we want to get there before nightfall." he said. "Since the men stole all our supplies, we can't be caught in the forest overnight." Fiefox and the Piper jumped on their horses immediately, but as Minerva was about to mount hers Jocasta touched her arm.

"So...we're going to their childhood home?"

"Apparently." Minerva replied.

"And we'll be exposed to every shameful memory they have?" her eyebrows rose over kohl-rimmed eyes.

"Yeah."

"Cool." she grinned. Minerva felt a moment of apprehension as the younger woman swung up onto the kingly horse and sped off after the men. She quickly shrugged it off and followed on her own horse.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Freezing water splashed onto hard, unforgiving earth, quickly forming crystals of ice in the cold air. A pair of ragged leather boots jumped away, their owner cursing as her feet went partially numb. Frantically stamping to bring feeling back, the young woman pushed dirty blonde hair out of her face with blue-tinged fingers.

She regained control of herself and stepped over the puddle back to the well to draw a second bucket of water. As she glanced over to where the sun was setting, she caught a glimpse of bright red coming over the hill a half-mile or so away. Red like fire.

"Domenica!" she turned at the sound of her name. A village girl was rushing toward her. "There are strangers coming!" she pointed to the approaching blotch of red. She saw now it was hair. Hair....red like fire....

Water splashed all over Domenica's legs as she dropped the bucket again, but she didn't even feel it. It was like the fiery hair had warmed her up to a burning heat. And once burned, twice shy.

***

The Piper shivered as he rode back into the village he had sworn never to return to. Everywhere he looked, painful memories resurfaced.

_"Fabio!" Both of the boys hiding in the tree flinched at the sound of the redhead's mother._

_"Yes?" the boy who would become Firefox replied reluctantly._

_"Where are you? I need you to do chores." _

_"I have to go." Fabio apologized to the blonde boy next to him._

_"D-don't w-worry. I'll f-f-find Anzio or s-something." Ivo stuttered. He watched his friend streak across the field like a comet. He was half-surprised he didn't leave a trail of burning air in his wake. After he was sure Fabio was gone, Ivo leaned back against the tree and began singing, softly, under his breath at first, but gaining confidence and volume. He didn't stutter when he sang. Maybe that was why he liked it. Maybe it was the way the golden notes seemed to hover in the air like butterflies, or the feeling he got in his stomach when he hit a note just right. _

_"Why are you singing?" Anzio had crept up behind him, as usual. Starting, Ivo was at the bottom of the hill in seconds, staring up at him in horror. "Did you not want me to hear you?" he smirked. _

_"N-n-n-n-no." Ivo stuttered even more than usual around Anzio. That and the choking feeling those yellow eyes gave him around the most tender part of his throat made him avoid the cobbler's son at any cost._

_The taller boy laughed. "Your voice sounds even worse when you sing. But at least you don't st-st-stutter." he walked away, knocking Ivo's shoulder as he passed too close to him._

Ugh. The Piper had left his insecurities behind in this town along with his stutter. He looked to his right and saw Minerva looking at him with concern. Smiling at her, he quickly glanced ahead to the town drawing ever closer. it looked as cold and morose as the night, seven years ago, when he, Firefox, and Anzio had left it in the dead of night without so much as saying goodbye.

Firefox's stomach felt like it was contracting into itself. He hadn't left on the best of terms with everyone, and he doubted their opinions of him had changed in seven years. Especially one person in particular....

Someone must have seen them coming. When they rode into town, a sizable crowd was assembled. And right in the middle of them, standing in the road blocking their horses, dirty-blonde hair whipping around her face in the chill evening air, was one angry looking young woman whose face Firefox immediately recognized. For a minute, he considered turning his horse around and fighting through Anzio's whole gang rather than face her.

He brought his horse to a halt, and his companions did the same. After a slight hesitation, he dismounted and walked over to the proud figure in front of him. Everyone else in town had cleared away from her, as if her aura of hatred had driven them back.

"Domenica." he started, but she slapped him viciously across the face.

"How dare you come back here." her eyes were slits. "You despicable bastard!"

"Domenica, let me--" she tried to slap him again, but a hand appeared on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Fabio." the village headman, Firefox's father Carnak, addressed him sternly. "My son. You have returned."

"Fabio?!" Jocasta snorted.

Firefox's father turned his hooded eyes toward her. "That is his name. Has he another I know nothing of?"

"I know him as Firefox." Jocasta didn't seem to notice the gasps and scandalized looks that went through the villagers. "And that's the Piper." Now everyone the two men had grown up with was staring at them as if they had sprouted extra heads, torn between flinching away and drawing closer. Even Domenica had heard of their doings and was looking a little frightened.

Firefox quickly appealed to his father. "Father. We have been through some hard times. We have nowhere else to go."

"I never dreamed..." his father said when he finally spoke, "that this would be your fate. You are my son, and so you may stay, but know that if you bring the filth and despair of your new way of life upon this village, you will never be forgiven."

"I understand. Thank you, Father." Firefox bobbed his head out of respect. As they were led to their lodgings, the crowd parted, avoiding them like the plague.

***

Firefox paused outside his parent's house. It was the finest in the village. Carnak had left him outside, no deigning to be present when he told his mother what he'd been up to the past seven years.

"Whose house is this?" Jocasta asked. She was strolling down the road toward him, apparently having ditched his father, the Piper, and Minerva.

"My mother is in there, waiting for me to tell her how I've been making a living lately." Firefox rubbed his forehead.

"Fire raising doesn't pay enough for her, eh?" Jocasta tapped the toe of her boot on the rain swept street. "Well, let's go in and have it over with."

"You're not coming." Firefox said firmly, and walked up to the door. He knocked, and a gray-haired woman with his blue eyes answered it. She shook her head as if she couldn't believe it, and smiling, hugged him with surprising strength.

"Fabio! You've come home!" her eyes met Jocasta's standing at a distance. "And you brought a girl! Who is this lovely lady?"

"Er..." Firefox was momentarily tongue-tied. Of course his mother would think he was involved with Jocasta, what was he thinking? He couldn't stop her from running to Jocasta and hugging her, too.

"Nice to meet you?" Jocasta stiffened at the unwanted contact, awkwardly patting her on the back. When Firefox's mother stepped back and cupped her face in her hands, a quick flash of disgust crossed her face before she forced a smile.

"But...you're so young!" she took her hands off Jocasta's face and spun to face her son. "She's so young!"

"I'm not...she's not my..." Firefox protested.

"I'm not his girlfriend." Jocasta said firmly.

"Oh. Well, that's good, you're so young!" she turned back to Firefox. "Oh, but I'm so glad you're back! Come inside for a cup of tea!" she dragged Jocasta and Firefox inside for an afternoon of anecdotes from Firefox's childhood.

***

The Piper left Minerva in his room so he could meet his parents alone first. As he walked down the familiar path, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed again. Here was where he had always hidden when his father came home drunk and Firefox's parents wouldn't let him in. That's where he had tried to kiss his first crush, Annabelle, and she pushed him away and called him a stupid blacksmith's son. Ugh. He still didn't understand why girls you've known your whole life think you're not worth shit and girls you've never met think you're incredibly interesting as long as you can write pretty songs about them.

"Hello." he spun around and saw, of all people, Annabelle and a group of her friends.

"Hi." he replied, politely and warily.

"We never knew you__were the Piper." one girl sidled closer to him. "We've heard so many stories." she giggled.

"We'd love to hear some of your songs." purred another girl. The other girls slowly advanced, with looks Ivo the blacksmith' son could only have dreamt of.

"Do you want to catch up with us? Tell us all about what you've been up to?" Annabelle came closer than the others. "We can go out in the woods where no one will..." Pause. "Interrupt."

"So, you're suddenly interested in me, now that I have friends that burn down villages? Or is it because a bunch of other girls find me attractive and you're just following the trend?" the Piper said icily.

"From what I hear, it doesn't really matter to you." the other girls were looking a little sheepish, but Annabelle pressed on.

"Go fuck yourselves. You sure won't get any man worth anything to do it." he sneered at her. He turned on his heel and strode off, Annabelle's shocked expression lifting his spirits and coaxing a satisfied smirk to his mouth. Maybe this could be fun.

The feeling lasted about until he got to his old house. Then that feeling in his knees he used to get so often here came back in full force. For a moment, he stood shivering on the doorstep, alert as if a wine bottle could come flying out the door at him. Then he knocked.

No one answered. He stood there a minute, feeling foolish, when an old voice from behind him said, "Hello, Ivo." he whipped around to see his mother, Enjassa, looking the worse for wear, as though the world washed all the color out of her. She had a thin face and big eyes that always looked hurt, giving her the look of a scared puppy. Her thin hair had gotten so white...

"Mother." he suddenly felt shame for what he'd done the past seven years. Actual shame. How long had it been since that queasy feeling had touched him?

"I saw you ride in." she drew her arms around herself against the cold. "I always guessed you were the Piper. When I heard of your voice, I knew it was that same boy I would always hear singing when he didn't think anyone was listening." the Piper tried to think of something to say, but he continued, "The woman who rode next to you. Who is she?"

"That was Minerva. I've asked her to marry me." he couldn't help but smile as the prospect of marrying Minerva sent a sudden rush of warmth into his stomach.

"That doesn't sound at all like the man you've become." remarked his mother.

"I know." he looked down, then said, "but I do love her. And that makes all the deplorable things I've done the last seven years worth it."

"I heard about those things." Enjassa's eyes clouded with pain. "Tell me about Minerva." she said softly.

"She's ten times better than any woman in this village, I know that." the Piper began. "You would like her. She has genuine good inside her. I don't know how she survived among the maids for so long."

"Have you...had her?"

The Piper paused, blushing. "Yes."

"Well there can't be that much good in her." Enjassa sniffed. "But she makes you happy, I know from the way you looked at her, and I love her for that." she paused as if unsure how to continue. "Is there...any particular reason you're getting married now?"

"Minerva is pregnant." he confessed, guessing her meaning.

"I didn't know if you knew...I've become something of the village healer when old Griselda died, I've leaned to spot these things...." she trailed off.

"Come meet her." the Piper suggested after a long silence.

"Later." she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "I have things I must do."

"One more thing. Where is...Father?" the word was hateful and alien in his mouth, and he struggled not to let it show.

"He passed several years ago." Enjassa said without emotion. She kissed his cheek and left him speechless as it began to rain.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, I can't say I approve of what you've been doing, but I'm so glad you're home!" Helga, Firefox's mother, was a wonderful woman, always beaming. She had taken Firefox's new "occupation" surprisingly well, and was sympathetic to her son's plight. "And that rascal Anzio, we'll show him in time!" she winked and put on more tea.

"What a charming woman." Jocasta murmured.

"Shut up..." Firefox hissed.

"No, I meant it, she's actually pretty cool." Jocasta broke off as Helga came back to sit with them.

"I noticed Ivo's done well for himself. I hope you've had half as much luck with the ladies as he has!" she giggled and winked again.

"Luck doesn't really have much to do with it..." Firefox replied.

"Who was that woman with him? Don't tell me she's just a friend too!"

"No, he and Minerva are getting married. Although I'm not sure when we'll get to that, considering we've got to concentrate on getting our lives back." Firefox carefully sipped his tea, waiting for his mother to turn her back so he could spike it.

"Your father could marry them." Helga said. "Oh, it would be wonderful! We'll make Minerva look so beautiful!" she began chattering about wedding plans, and Firefox and Jocasta could only barely get out of her house in the end.

"Why were you so afraid to come back? This place isn't so bad." Jocasta remarked as they strolled down the rainswept street, sky gray above them.

"I suppose we're celebrities now. Apart from my parents, the Piper and I used to be something of outcasts. People laughed at me for my stupid hair, and the Piper for his...uh..." Firefox stopped short.

"His what?" Jocasta asked.

"Don't laugh, but..." he hesitated again.

"What?" she demanded.

"He stuttered." Jocasta blinked, then burst out laughing with that exhilarated, slightly cruel laugh. People stopped in their tracks to stare. Firefox quickly ushered her away.

"Don't laugh at him for it!" he hissed at her when they found an empty street. She was still giggling. He twisted her face up to meet his serious eyes and her laughing subsided. "Don't laugh at him." Firefox repeated.

"Okay." Jocasta, cowed, pulled away.

"Thank you." he let go and they continued to the house they were staying in in silence. As they approached, Jocasta could make out a figure in a shabby coat standing outside. Firefox slowed and she heard him curse under his breath as the figure came toward them.

Jocasta didn't think much of her. She was fairly plain, with firm, serious lips twisted into a scowl and freckles dusting her nose. Her eyes were the most striking feature. The only eyes she'd ever seen that brilliant a blue were Firefox's, probably a result of small-town inbreeding. Right now they burned with a hatred she at first thought was directed at her until she spoke.

"You don't exactly look like a nice girl, but you deserve a warning." her voice's ice was directed at Firefox, not her. "This man is the last person you want to be with. He will use you, and if you resist..." she gulped and continued. "Then he'll rape you." she spat out the words like a dagger she could plunge through Firefox's heart.

"I never raped you." Firefox protested.

"Because my father heard me scream!" the mystery girl shrieked, suddenly exploding with rage. "You know very well what you would have done to me if you had the chance!"

Firefox recoiled at the heat of her anger. "Domenica..."

"Shut up!" her eyes were starting to water, and she stormed away to try to hide it. Firefox rubbed his forehead, grimacing, while Jocasta stared at him with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. Firefox? A rapist?!

"What exactly was that?" she could hear the judgement in her voice as if it were someone else speaking.

Firefox paused a long time before he spoke. "I was young. I am not the boy who did that to Domenica anymore." he sighed. "This is why I was afraid to come back here. She's the _reason_ I left. She will never forgive me..." he was talking to himself now, sounding aggrieved.

"Firefox." the Piper was walking towards them from the direction Domenica had come. "I heard her screaming at you from a block away." he said sympathetically.

"I need to be alone." Firefox muttered.

"Sure?" the Piper asked as he started to walk away.

"Yes." he headed toward where they had ridden into town.

"Did he really rape that girl?" Jocasta asked.

"It was a long time ago. And he didn't get that far." the Piper said sadly.

"And that makes it better?!" she exclaimed. "He tried to force her! That alone--"

"Firefox has changed considerably in the seven years since then." the Piper broke her off angrily. "Ironically, being a fire-raiser somehow gave him a better character. He blames himself entirely, and he does not need you to judge him any more than he already has unless he's told you his side of the story."

"Fine. I'll just go get his side of the story--" the Piper grabbed Jocasta's arm as she started to follow Firefox.

"Later. He needs some time to sort himself out. Hey!" he roughly pulled her back when she tried to squirm free. "He hates himself for what he did. He hasn't had to think about it in years. Allow him this one favor." she relented and turned back towards him.

"I have one more question."

"What is it?"

"Did you really stutter?" the PIper scowled and let go of her arm in disgust. As he stalked away, she called after him, "B-b-b-bye!" and laughed herself silly.

***

Minerva had collapsed onto the bed and gone to sleep as soon as she got there, out of sheer exhaustion from having ridden a day straight. When she woke she found the Piper beside her. When he saw her eyes open, he smiled and said softly, "Good evening, my love," kissing the hand she reached up to touch his cheek.

"Evening? I slept for a whole day?" she asked drowsily. He laughed and kissed her on the forehead.

"No, you've only been asleep a few hours. It's almost midnight."

"Oh." she yawned. "Did you meet your parents?"

"Parent. Turns out my father is dead."

"I'm sorry!" her eyes flew open, full of concern.

"Don't be. That's actually the best news I've gotten since I came back." he chuckled. "But my mother would love to meet you."

"That's wonderful." her eyelids drooped involuntarily, and she struggled to keep them open. She felt him shift closer until they were forehead to forehead.

"Go back to sleep, love." he whispered. She started to obey before she remembered something.

"Ivo?"

"Yes?"

"There's something I've always meant to ask you to do, but I always forget after we make love. The heat of the moment and all."

"What is it?"

"Will you sing me to sleep?" she asked. He smiled that lovely smile and began to sing.

"Shadows grow so long, before my eyes, and they're moving across the page. Suddenly the day turns into night, far away from the city." Minerva drifted into dreams of the Piper with a smile on her face. The Piper finished his song and watched her sleeping face adoringly until he, too, fell asleep.

***

An owl's cry echoed through the forest as Firefox shivered in his once favorite tree. He hadn't brought a coat with him, and he didn't think he really deserved one even if he had. He had lost everything in the last two days. His fortress, his new life, and now the respect of everyone in his village. Suddenly a shadow appeared at the base of the tree in the light of the waning moon.

"Firefox?" a voice unused to sympathy called up to him. Jocasta stood there, with no more of a coat than he had. She seemed oblivious to the chill that purpled her lips and brought roses to her cheeks as she tried to swing herself up and failed. Firefox laughed in spite of himself and jumped down next to her.

"The Piper told me not to follow you." she remarked.

"I don't mind." he assured her.

"He also told me not to ask you about what happened between you and that girl that was screaming at you." Jocasta continued.

"That would be better right now." Firefox paused. "But I want you to know that even though what she said is true, I don't--I'm not--"

"I get it." Jocasta relieved him.

"Okay." he smiled and looked up into the branches of the tree. "Ivo, Anzio and I would always be up in this tree when we were young. Whenever our respective issues got to be too much, it was like heaven. Like we'd risen above everything." he stared up in silence. "I suppose it was only Ivo and I who had issues we had to rise above. Anzio didn't have that many problems." A dark look flitted across his face when he said Anzio's name.

"Let's go back to the village. It's cold out here." Jocasta said quickly. He nodded and they walked back, Firefox recounting stories of his youth on the way.

Some ways away, underneath a different tree, Domenica sat shaking until anger and despair. Here eyes had become two orbs of rage as she looked at the man who had ruined two years of her life. She still hadn't fully healed... It wouldn't have been as bad if she had confronted him. If he hadn't left the day after, not saying goodbye to anyone, and taking those awful friends of his with him. And he thought he could just come back...the bastard.

"Domenica." she turned and saw Enjassa illuminated in the moonlight.

"Enjassa." she bowed her head in respect.

"Domenica, you know you've been like a daughter to me ever since your parents passed. I will help you in any way I can in this emotional time for you." the old woman put her hand on her arm lovingly.

"Can you help me kill Fabio? Or Firefox, as he's now called?" asked Domenica sardonically.

"Yes." she replied without hesitation.

"What?" asked the younger woman. Her eyes had lost their hate and now held only surprise. She was shocked when the healer did not waver but continued.

"Ivo's father didn't drink himself to death." her tone became more hushed. "Women have so little choice in this world, we need to take whatever power we can get. You will not go on unavenged, Domenica."

Domenica could not speak, so she just nodded and allowed Enjassa to take her to her home to plan.


	13. Chapter 13

Minerva woke up in her favorite place: the Piper's arms. She still kept a maid's hours by habit, so the sky had yet to lighten. She shivered. They had fallen asleep above the covers and she was freezing despite the Piper's warmth. She gently whispered into his ear, "Ivo, wake up a minute." the serene expression flickered for a second before succumbing to sleep again.

After more whispering and shaking, he groggily muttered, "What?"

"I'm really cold, let's get under the covers."

"You woke me up for that?" a hand cupped her cheek in the darkness. "Minerva, my darling, I love you, but you can be clueless sometimes." he drew back the covers and pulled them over their heads.

"Mmm. Much better." Minerva said happily as their bodies warmed the bed. She felt along his arm muscles as they tightened around her, down his abs...As she got further down, she felt him wake up to her touches. She giggled and started to go back to sleep, but she felt his hot breath as his mouth tried to find hers and his hands explored her body in that familiar way she never quite got used to. "We should probably get some more sleep." she whispered wickedly in his ear. He caught her tone and pinned her down, holding on hand over her head as he continued to touch her with the other.

"You don't get off that easily." she could almost see the mischievous look in his eyes. He kissed up her neck and whispered, "You're such a tease." when she giggled again.

"And that turns you on, doesn't it?" she tried to sound like a coquette and failed.

The Piper chuckled, leaned right into her ear, and purred in a deep dark voice that made her joints go weak, "You have no idea." She let out a weak little moan like a kitten seeking its mother's milk. He paused, and his lips drew away from her neck. "Minerva, are you all right?" he asked uncertainly.

Confused, she answered, "Yes, of course."

"Well, with that weird little noise you made, I wasn't sure." his voice turned playful, and she lightly slapped what she assumed in the dark was his face.

"Just fuck me, Ivo." she ordered.

"Will do." he obeyed with enthusiasm until the sun flooded in the windows and they could see each other's exhausted faces in the weak light as they feel asleep in each other's arms again.

***

Firefox woke, for almost the eight day straight, without a hangover. New record, he thought sarcastically. As he sat up, he jumped as he saw Jocasta curled up like a cat at the foot of his bed. Since he wasn't hung over, he could fully recall their conversation long into the night instead of wondering with dread what they did.

He tried to shake her awake. "Jojo, wake up!"

At the nickname her eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright. "Jojo?!" she asked threateningly. "You better be joking."

"Sure, Jojo." he smiled to himself as he turned to find some clothes. Something tackled him to the the ground and shoved his face into the floor, digging her knee into his back. He struggled, but she held him fast. A voice whispered menacingly in his ear.

"Do you like...pain, Firefox?"

"Um..." he squeaked, then yelped as she dug her nails into his scalp.

"I said, do you like pain?" she growled.

"No! No, I don't like pain!"

"What's my name?"

"Jocasta!"

"Louder!"

"JOCASTA!" Suddenly the door opened and Minerva and the Piper entered. Minerva looked shocked, but the Piper just grinned.

"Firefox, I had no idea this is what it takes to turn you on." he drawled. "If only I'd known, I could have had you all to myself."

"I hate you so much right now." Firefox's muffled voice said.

Jocasta stepped off Firefox and stepped on him on her way to the door. "I'm going to play some sick sexual mind games with the village boys." she announced. "Minerva, will you join me?"

"No, she won't." the Piper answered rather quickly, putting his arm around her.

"Sick sexual mind games aren't really my thing." Minerva added, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Unless you play them with me." he said in a dark, seductive voice as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Firefox rolled his eyes.

"I'll just take you to do something else. I'd hate to leave poor Foxie with the both of you for company." the Piper laughed too hard at the nickname to protest as she led Minerva away.

Firefox waited patiently for the Piper to get himself together enough to hold a conversation. "Are you ready to plot to get that bastard Anzio back?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know what kind of strategy we'll be able to come up with when we only have us two to fight." the Piper replied. "We've been here almost a week, and I haven't exactly seen any armies popping up clamoring to help us take the fortress back."

"Right. Which is where my plan comes in. We sell our souls to the devil."

The Piper raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"The Adderhead. He was Capricorn's ally. If we make it worthwhile for him, he might help us."

"Are you serious?! I'd rather bargain with the devil, at least the evil would be less frightening!" the Piper exclaimed in disgust.

"It's our only chance." Firefox countered. "We'll wait out the winter here and strike back come spring."

"You really want to screw Anzio over that much? Why can't we just stay here or something?"

"Don't you want to? He was always a dick to you!"

The Piper sighed. "I don't know. Maybe being in love makes you have less room for hate. I don't really care, you know?"

"Well, I don't have a Minerva to turn me into a pussy. And since I suppose you're my deputy, I want you to come too."

"Fine. When are we going to see him?"

Firefox thought. "Before all the roads freeze. I'm thinking as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, okay. We'll leave Minerva here, but Jocasta might want to come."

"Why do you assume Minerva wouldn't want to come?" the Piper seemed a little offended.

"Would she?"

"No, probably not. But why would you just assume?"

"I dunno, she's just kind of following you around, she doesn't have a stake in this the way we real fire-raisers do."

"What are you saying?"

"Her only purpose is to be with you. Otherwise, there are no plot lines associated with her."

"What about Jocasta? She's not really doing much, either."

"At least Jocasta has some bad-ass, a little third dimension to her character! Minerva's just a little bland--"

"Oh, she's bland, is she--"

"Look, this entire conversation is way too self-referential. So, we're going to see the Adderhead tomorrow."

"All right."

***

The castle looked black and forbidding in the noonday sun, but not nearly as much as it would in the moonlight, the Piper was sure. As they rode up, the two men hunched their shoulders against the aura of sophisticated savagery that emanated from the place.

As they entered the throne room, the Piper couldn't help but be awed by the riches there. The legacy of a house older than many lifetimes of memory...the hall seemed to be infused with history.

"Hey, bow!" Firefox nudged him. The Piper realized he had been staring at everything like a country bumpkin and bowed low.

The Adderhead, reclining in his throne like a great cat regarding two mice, laughed softly and inquired, "Is my throne room to your liking, minstrel?"

"Your majesty lives in splendor." replied the Piper, trying not to look at those black, reptilian eyes. He couldn't help but be please at the sound of his voice reverberating throughout the space.

"We've come to--" began Firefox.

"There are rumors among my people that my old..." he hesitated. "friend, Capricorn, has disappeared. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then does that not mean that you, Firefox, are the new master of your quaint little band out there in the Wood?" the Adderhead leaned forward in interest.

"That's why we've come to see you, your majesty." Firefox said respectfully. "A...rebellion has sprung up and we are in need of your aid to crush the traitors responsible." he added extra vigor toward the end.

"Hmm." the ruler of Argenta paused, steepling his fingers. "When your old master first came to me asking for an alliance, he brought me three chests of silver and gave me twelve of his most beautiful maids for concubines."

"Capricorn had access to a great amount of wealth." Firefox said diplomatically.

"He said to me," the Adderhead did not acknowledge that Firefox had spoken. "'Accept these gifts as the promise of many more, for I would give the last breath out of my lungs to please you.' Quite a commitment, eh?" the Adderhead was clearly toying with them as smiled predatorially and said "How can I know that you will be as loyal as your master?"

Firefox thought. "We have no material assets at present---"

"I wasn't talking about that. I had something more to the order of a...test in mind."

"What kind of test?"

"My daughter, Violante, is waiting to marry Cosimo the Fair in Ombra Castle. Little does her fiance know she is spying on the Laughing Prince for me. Normally, I have one of my spies in Ombra pick up her report each week, but I think this week you two will sneak into her room at midnight and retrieve it in person." he rubbed his hands together gleefully. "This game will be fun!"

"My lord--" Firefox began but was interrupted.

"And if you are killed or do not succeed, well," he shrugged. "I suppose I can always forge an alliance with those rebel fire-raisers you mentioned. Give my daughter this ring to show I have truly sent you." he carelessly tossed a ring to the ground. Before Firefox or the Piper could reply, the Adderhead waved to his guards and they were "escorted" out while he gave them a cheeky wave goodbye.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Piper and Firefox rode in silence for a while as the Castle of Night fell out of sight behind them.

"Crap." the Piper finally remarked.

"Indeed." Firefox replied.

"We have _two days_ to sneak into Ombra, evade all the guards who want to kill us, and of all things get into Violante's bedroom. Do you still think the Adderhead is the best choice of ally?"

"He's our only choice of ally!" Firefox snapped. "We have to try, anyway."

"Why? Why is it so important? Can't you just find a way to be happy aside from looting and burning and drinking? Is there no greater joy in your life than that?" the Piper implored.

"Looting and burning and drinking are pretty fun, as you yourself know." Firefox reminded him.

"I suppose." he conceded. "But is it worth your life? Or is this about something more than that?"

"Not letting Anzio win, I guess."

"Why don't you want Anzio to win?"

"Because Anzio isn't me." Firefox said stubbornly as they rode into the village. They found Minerva and Jocasta talking to a group of village boys. The Piper sped his horse up as he saw how some of them were looking at Minerva. However, most of them were looking at the girl with the shaggy black hair and wicked smile as she brushed it away from her face with a black-nailed hand. Firefox felt a flash of annoyance at her.

"I told her not to draw much attention to herself! And she goes about like some village whore!" he fumed as they approached. The Piper just laughed and went to put a territorial arm around his fiance. As Firefox joined, scowling at the younger men, they all found reasons to leave, nervously glancing over their shoulders at the foursome that remained.

"You mind? Just because you never get laid doesn't mean I can't!" Jocasta glared at Firefox.

"You'll have plenty of time for that while we're gone. The Piper and I have to go to Ombra to pass the Adderhead's sick tests." Firefox answered angrily.

Jocasta wound a lock of her hair and asked in true teen style, "Won't they, like, kill you?"

"They won't like kill me, they will kill me!"

"And me." the Piper put in. Firefox and Jocasta each shot him a look and returned to their argument.

"Hanging around with a lot of boys can ruin your reputation quite easily in a small town." Firefox's voice took on a filial tone.

"Fuck you, man, I hang out with who I want!"

"Should we leave them alone?" whispered Minerva.

"I'd rather watch, wouldn't you?" murmured the Piper. However, the argument had reached a standstill, both parties defiantly burning each other's eyes out with dirty looks.

"Let's go, Piper." Firefox said eventually, tearing his gaze away.

"I thought we were leaving tomorrow." the Piper protested.

"We shouldn't be wasting time. Meet me by our tree in an hour." he called over his shoulder, going to his lodgings to pack. Jocasta pursed her lips and stalked off after a few of the boys, leaving the Piper and Minerva alone.

"I thought I would have more time to say a proper goodbye." the Piper apologized, drawing her closer.

"Is it as dangerous as Firefox made it out to be?" Minerva gave him a searching look. "Don't lie."

"It's pretty dangerous." he admitted.

"I love you." she buried her face in his chest suddenly. Then she got hold of herself and grabbed the back of his neck, jerking him down so they were looking directly into each other's eyes. "Don't you _dare_ die. You will _not_ leave me alone. Got it?" her eyes had fear in them.

"I'll never leave you." a wave of devotion flooded him, and he kissed her on the mouth, then her hand as he rose to get his horse ready. "Goodbye, my love." he left Minerva with her hand on her stomach, trembling.

***

The Piper hated Ombra. Wide-eyed and happy, the citizens dressed in colors as loud as their voices ran rampant in the streets like so many vermin. Ugh.

"Have you thought about where we'll be staying tonight and tomorrow night?" he asked Firefox as they rode by the castle, casing the joint.

"We'll be leaving immediately after we get Violante's report tomorrow night. Saves money and time." he replied shortly. He'd been all business the entire trip, and it was starting to get on the Piper's nerves.

"All right. Now, what about getting the actual report? I'm sure that will require more than good time management."

"Do you have any brilliant ideas?" Firefox asked him coldly.

"Yes." the Piper answered, surprising him. "We'll pose as strolling players trying to make some money by entertaining the king. Most people in Ombra don't know our faces, so if we dye that hair of yours we won't stand out. Now, what was your plan? I'm sure it's much better than mine, mine was just a thought." he smiled at Firefox sweetly and waited for an answer.

"Let's use your plan. You--er--don't contribute enough to decision-making; it'll be nice for you to have some input." Firefox grumbled.

"Right." the Piper smirked.

As they rode into the marketplace, they were comforted by the relative absence of guards. Apparently the king here was more lenient with his subjects than the one in Argenta. However, from the square they could see men at arms strolling the battlements with weapons as formidable as their numbers. Eventually they found a stall where two strolling players were selling organic remedies, clothing, and jaunty tunes.

"We, like, make all our clothes out of hemp, man." said one as the two fire-raisers inspected their cheaply made, brightly colored clothing.

"Hemp? You mean, Fairyweed? Can't you also smoke that stuff?" Firefox asked. He looked at the shirt he was holding with new interest.

"Oh, yeah, man." said the other strolling player. "It all helps us to get in touch with Mother Earth, man." he took a bit out of a foul-smelling wheat cake with flecks of green in it. "But you can also cook it into food, man. Wanna bite?" he held the cake out to Firefox, who considered before the Piper batted his outstretched hand away from it.

"We'd just like to buy these." he dumped a pile of clothing in front of the players.

"Sure, brother. That'll be fifty silver pieces."

"Whoa!" Firefox exclaimed. "Where do you deadbeat minstrels get off charging that much?" he ignored the Piper's little sniff of offense.

"It's all so we can fight the man, man." the player with bits of fairyweed cake lodged in his long dreadlocks explained.

"Who's the man?" Firefox asked.

"Firefox, don't--" the Piper began.

"The man is, like, the government, man. The man is killing the water nymphs and covering it up because he can control our minds!" the player's pupils dilated even more.

"Let's just get out of here." the Piper forked over the money and pulled Firefox away. "Don't encourage them!" he hissed. "I had to live with them for a while when Capricorn and I had that falling out a few years back. They're no good, any of them."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that. When we finally came and found you, you smelled like you hadn't bathed in months." Firefox laughed.

"I hadn't." he scowled at the memory. "Now, let's find an inn."

They eventually found a room for renting and collapsed onto the bed they would have to share.

"So tell me more about his strolling player commune you were living in. I never could get you to talk about it." Firefox grinned devilishly. The Piper sat up and looked him straight in the eye.

"You want to know about it? Imaging a hundred people smoking and fornicating and fighting with each other for crusts of bread, fulfilling their basest instincts like animals. Imaging sitting in a haze of smoke and filth and the only entertainment being when someone took too many drugs at the same time and flipped out. They foamed and drowned in their own vomit and we thought it was hilarious. I ended up trying to sell my lyre for food, but everyone else was trying to sell their instruments too so I couldn't even get food that way! I lived there three months and I didn't change clothes once! Imagine that! It was not a good time for me!" he snapped.

"Sounds like a great time." Firefox mused. The Piper grunted and looked away. After a few minutes, Firefox pulled him back down on the bed, whispering, "I'm sorry." the minstrel stiffened at the contact. They both slept shirtless, and the bed was pretty small. "Dude, it's fine. So, do you forgive me?"

"Yeah..." the Piper tentatively relaxed next to him.

"Good." Firefox settled back, putting his arm around the Piper. As his companion sat up a little and made a little sound of embarrassment, he exclaimed, "Quit being awkward! We used to do this all the time!"

"Yeah, when we were kids..." he mumbled.

"Chill, okay?" Firefox asked exasperatedly. He stroked the Piper's head in the way he'd discovered that always made him go completely limp.

"Goddamn you." the Piper chuckled as his head flopped onto Firefox's chest.

"Has Minerva found that one yet?"

"No..." a cold breeze blew in the window, making the two men draw closer together for warmth. There was a pause, then the Piper whispered, "Uh, could you maybe do that stroking thing again? It...feels good."

"Sure." Firefox obliged and he heard a contented sigh come from beneath his companion's blonde hair, and felt all the Piper's muscles relax against his skin.

"That's good." they lay in silence for a while, then the Piper whispered, "Good night, Fabio."

"Good night, Ivo."

**Author's Note:**

**If you dare me to write something about when the Piper was living in a Strolling Player commune, review now!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The following evening the Piper and Firefox, wearing their crusty, tie-dye strolling player outfits, waited among those about to entertain the Laughing Prince, not looking at each other.

"Um, Firefox?" the Piper asked.

"Yeah?" Firefox still didn't look directly after him.

"That boner I had this morning...that's normal. All guys get that in the morning. It wasn't...like..."

"Yeah. Yeah, I get it."

"Okay." There was a long silence. "Because, you know, you had one too, so--"

"Just drop it."

"Okay."

"Hey, you guys." a man in a fire-eater's red and black clothing came up to them.

They sighed. "Hi, Sootbird." Firefox said, trying to sound polite.

"I'm gonna do my fire-eating routine. You should watch me."

"Your fire-eating sucks, Sootbird." the Piper told him.

"Yeah, you dick." Firefox agreed.

"Get lost."

"Dick." Sootbird hunched his shoulders and walked away.

The guards opened the doors into the banquet hall, and the strolling players started to drift in.

"Now's our chance. As soon as the other players start singing and distract the guards, we'll sneak away." Firefox hissed.

"How will we find Violante's room?"

"We'll just wing it!"

"Okay." the Piper hesitated, then shook one of the bells on Firefox's hat.

"I will kill you."

"Sorry!" As the guards began to pay less attention to the players that weren't performing, they slipped out of the banquet hall unnoticed.

_Several hours later..._

"We'll just wing it...great plan. GREAT plan." the Piper bitterly remarked as they passed by the same portrait of the Laughing Prince for the fifth time.

"If only we had a map of this place..." Firefox mused, ignoring him.

"How about the library? There's bound to be a book on this castle." the Piper pointed to an ornate-looking pair of double-doors.

"I--I can't read, remember?" Firefox reminded him.

"Ha. Ignorant proliteriate. Guess I'll have to find a map." the Piper went ahead of him into the library.

A short librarian came pattering up to them. "Good evening, may I--AH!" he jumped back when he saw they were dressed as Strolling Players, and Firefox and the Piper cried out when they say that the librarian was..._furry._

"What...ARE you?" gasped the Piper.

"I am Tullio, page of the Laughing Prince. I'm working in the library this week." Tullio said warily.

"No, I mean...what ARE you? Like, are you one of those people who likes to dress up as animals, or some kind of weird mutant?" the both leaned forward to stare at him in mesmerized disgust.

"I'm half-brownie, I'll have you know!"

"You're..you're fascinatingly ugly. My god..." Firefox gasped at him, a muscle near his nose twitching as his eyes betrayed sheer horror.

"Hey, fuck off! I may look like a mutant teddy bear, but I still have feelings!" Tullio said indignantly.

"No. Something this ugly couldn't have feelings. Everyone knows that." the Piper said.

"Yeah. You must...have no soul" Firefox agreed

"And if he has no soul..." the Piper smiled evilly at Firefox, who grinned back. Tullio began slowly backing away.

"What are you going to do...?" he asked nervously as their shadows covered him with darkness.

***

Violante threw down her hand mirror in disgust. A fine thing it was to have all the fine clothes and makeup a girl could want and yet with all of it look as ugly as ever. She was distracted suddenly by a crashing and screeching followed by the pattering of tiny feet running away from bigger ones.

"My lady, my lady!" she gasped in horror as Tullio, completely hairless, ran into her chambers followed by two Strolling Players.

"We're sorry, your majesty." said the one with the stupid hat. "We had to get to you somehow."

"Who are you?! How dare you barge into my room?!" Even at nine years old the Adderhead's daughter held herself with a queen's pride.

"I am Firefox, m'lady." Firefox bowed and the jester's cap on his own head. The Piper gasped in delight, reached down swiftly and put the cap on his own head. He looked over to meet Firefox's glare, trying to keep a straight face. "I will peel all the skin from your face." threatened the newly hatless fire-raiser.

"Hey, I didn't take your hat. Must have been those vagabond strolling players." the Piper clicked his tongue and shook his head in sympathy. "Goddamn them." Firefox growled and snatched his hat back. "Aw, you're a bad sport." he muttered, grinning.

"Anyway, your highness, your father sent us to collect your weekly report on the goings-on in Lombrica." bells jangled as he replaced the cap on his head.

"How do I know you're really my father's agents?" the painfully young princess narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Firefox wordlessly showed her the ring the Adderhead had given them in his silver hall. "This definitely is my father's crest. All right. I have here my reports, written in a code only my father can decipher. Take these papers to him and you'll be free of whatever sick games he's been playing with you." a tinge of bitterness entered her voice as she handed Firefox the envelope of reports.

"Thank you, princess." Firefox and the Piper bowed respectfully and began to exit when a group of soldiers burst through the door.

"There they are!" a whiny voice announced. "Arrest them!" Sootbird stepped from behind them with a triumphant smile on his face.

"You dick, Sootbird!" Firefox shouted.

"Oh yeah? Well, I just convinced the Laughing Prince to have you executed in a week! Who's a dick now?" he retorted.

"You are! You're a dick!' the Piper answered as he was dragged away.

"No! Shut up!" Sootbird called after him. "You don't think I'm a dick, do you, princess?" he asked Violante once they were gone.

"Shut up, Sootbird." she replied, quietly picking up the dropped envelope and returning it to her bureau. Later she would add a letter to it explaining to her father that his agents had been compromised and give the envelope to Tullio, who she would then force to make the long journey to the Castle of Night through the oncoming winter alone, with no fur.

***

Four days had passed since Ivo left, and MInerva was worried sick. She sat on the outskirts of the village, staring in lovesickness at the northern horizon.

"You are so pathetic." she looked over and saw Jocasta perched on a nearby fence.

"I'm just worried. About both of them." she said.

"That's because you literally have no life other than the Piper. You need to have some fucking fun. I'm sure some of the village boys would oblige."

Minerva scowled. "I'm not interested i cheating on my fiance, and the father of my unborn child." she pressed her hand to her stomach, which had not yet begun to show her maternity.

"Not like that." Jocasta rolled her eyes. "Just to hang out. Some of them are pretty cool, and since the main agricultural product around here is grapes they know where to get good wine." she leaned in. "Also, did you know if you go about a mile into the Wayless Wood, there's fairyweed growing everywhere? Seriously, everywhere. You can roll in it! And it's pretty good stuff, too! Completely free, all you can smoke, as far as the eye can see!"

"I can't drink wine or smoke. I'm pregnant." Minerva reminded her.

"Right. But, you know, just to get your mind off things until Firefox and the Piper get back, come with me. I'm sure we can find something to do." Jocasta took her hand and led her away, and Minerva, cheered by the thought of some fun, followed without protest.

***

"How exactly is this fun?" Minerva whispered.

"Trust me." Jocasta whispered back. They were hidden just off the road on a steep hill.

"What's this trick called again?"

"Rick-rolling." they waited until a man pulling two girls in a rickshaw came toward them up the hill. Just when they reached the crest of the hill, Jocasta picked up a large rock and threw it at the rickshaw man, knocking him out. He fell to the ground and the rickshaw, along with the two girls, went rolling back down the hill. Amid their screams, Jocasta sniggered and explained, "See, the rickshaw is rolling! Classic!" she subsided into chuckles.

"I would have thought you'd be laughing harder at this." Minerva commented.

"Ah, it's getting old. I do it too much."

***

"Here's one you'll like. You know Annabelle, that bitch the Piper used to have a crush on?"

"Who?"

"Oh, did he not tell you about his comedically unsuccessful love life before he joined up with Capricorn? Firefox filled me in on it, it's pretty hilarious. Anyway, I like to personally victimize her because she's funny when she screams. Come on, I know just where we can brainstorm ideas."

A half hour later, they were sitting in a tree in the woods just off the path, with Jocasta wringing her hands in exasperation.

"In the name of the Shape-Changer! When I decided to let you help me think of an idea, I didn't think you'd be this unoriginal!"

"I haven't spent my life thinking of ways to harm others the way you have." Minerva shrugged.

"Obviously. I thought I'd take a page from Firefox's book and see if a tree would help us, but I wonder if it hasn't had the opposite effect!" When Minerva opened her mouth to speak, she gestured for her to close it. "Close your mouth and don't open it again until you have a good idea to crush that poor girl's spirit! This is for your benefit now!" they sat there for over an hour. Jocasta was surprisingly patient. In their green clothes they blended right into the trees. Every now and then townspeople in twos and threes would pass underneath, talking loudly of nothing. A few teenagers, about Jocasta's age, went by whispering furiously, and Minerva thought she caught her own name once or twice. She was about to give up and tell Jocasta to cause people misery without her when she heard, distinctly, Firefox's real name below.

"Fabio's gone somewhere." Jocasta, too, pricked up her ears.

"Indeed. We'll wait then." Was that her mother-in-law's voice?

There was a pause as the blond head below stopped beneath their tree. "Enjassa..."

"What?" the healer seemed anxious to move on.

"When you...killed Ivo's father..." Minerva clapped a hand to her mouth, and she saw Jocasta's eyes widen next to her. "How did you feel afterward?"

"Good." replied Enjassa shortly. "I had rid myself of the man who had beaten me countless times, made me the pity of the village, and driven my own son away. How else could you possibly have expected me to feel?"

"I don't know." Another pause. "I--I can't wait to do it."

"I know you can't. Come, we have to pick some plants for the potion. It's a complicated brew, what we're making." the gray head turned and moved out of sight. The blonde hurried after her, and it wasn't until they had been gone a good ten minutes before Minerva could allow herself to let out a whimper of fear and disgust.

**Author's Note:**

**I know I've been updating just about every week lately, but I'm going to be gone for Thanksgiving, so I won't be updating for a week or so. Sorry! Add me to your favorites so you know when I update!**


	16. Chapter 16

The Piper came awake groggily. All he knew was that his head hurt and there was something warm underneath him, soft yet firm. He snuggled into it, feeling it rise and fall almost in time with his own breathing. There was something so comforting about it...

"Piper? What are you doing?" the Piper opened his eyes. He was snuggled into Firefox's chest.

"Oh. I guess when the guards knocked us out for struggling--"

"Just get off."

"Yeah." the Piper hastily sat up and slid away from him. "My god, the dungeons here are filthy." As a struggling minstrel, he'd spent his share of time in both the Castle of Night and Ombra Castle's prison accomodations, and the Adderhead's lair was definitely the classier of the two.

"I don't think we'll be here long enough for me to form an opinion." Firefox muttered. "Sootbird said we'd be executed next week."

"What about our alliance with the Adderhead?"

"That's pretty much shot. We just need to concentrate of staying alive now."

The Piper was silent. Minerva...left alone to raise his child... "We have to get out of here." he whispered.

"No shit, sherlock." Firefox replied. The Piper was about to snap at him when the dungeon door creaked open ominously.

"Well, well...who have we here?" asked an equally ominous voice.

***

Minerva collapsed on the floor of Jocasta's room. They had sprinted there as soon as they could move, even Jocasta losing her cool a bit.

"Oh my god...oh my god..." she heard her voice as if someone else was speaking, not noticing the sensation in her throat that meant she was talking.

"Calm down." Jocasta crossed to the bedside table and pulled some cigarettes she had stolen from Firefox out of them. She lit one with a stolen match as she caught her breath.

"How? How can I calm down? The nice old woman who is going to be my mother-in-law, who has been so kind to me in the past few weeks, is a murderer! I--I ate her food! She could have poisoned me at any time!" Minerva exclaimed.

"She wouldn't, though. She has no reason to kill us. Which is why you need to keep being nice to her. Treat her like the woman you thought she was."

"What?!"

"Think about it! No one in town will believe us. Unless we wait for Ivo and Fabio to come back--I mean the Piper and Firefox--we will only be making ourselves her next target if we reveal what we know." she took a few more hurried drags. "She can't know we know."

Minerva slowly nodded. "Can I have a cigarette?"

"You don't want theses, they're tobacco. They'll make you more nervous. I'll get the fairyweed." They stayed in there the rest of the afternoon. Minerva eventually stopped coughing whenever she took a drag, and through the haze they could see the fear that lurked in each other behind the high. She wondered if Ivo was even alive. Then she wondered if there was any food around, because she was suddenly really hungry.

***

As the three figures came down the stair toward them, they saw it was the Laughing Prince and his son, Cosimo, with Violante in tow.

"Well, well, well, Firefox, it would seem you haven't been the chief fire-raiser for a month yet and you've already lost control of your gang, gone on a suicide mission to raid my daughter-in-law's bedroom, and landed yourself in the dungeons of Ombra Castle without hope of escape." the Laughing Prince's voice always sounded like he was jolly, even though at this moment he was deadly serious. "You are by far the worst fire-raiser I've ever heard of."

Feeling compelled to complete the reference, Firefox replied, "But you have heard of me!"

"Not cool." whispered the Piper next to him.

"In seven days, we will be making an example of you two. I will no longer tolerate fire-raising in my realm!"

"Oh, hey, when you get mad you jiggle like a big bowl of jelly!" the Piper laughed.

"That bowl of jelly wants to kill us!" hissed Firefox

"Isn't it funny, though?"

"Shut up!"

"There's only one thing that could possibly save you from death." the Laughing Prince said. "I need information about the Adderhead. Answer my questions and you shall go free."

"What do you need to know?" asked Firefox.

"First: Is his castle finer than mine?" Cosimo and Violante rolled their eyes as one. Perhaps they weren't such a bad match after all.

"It's way better. Silver all over, and much more taste in placement." the Piper said.

"Definitely. His taste is a refined, classy power as opposed to the gaudy type of thing you go in for." Firefox agreed.

"Hmm. Anyway, is his military technology more advanced?"

"Is his castle easily defended? Are there any weak spots, or entryways?" Cosimo asked suddenly.

"We don't know. We were only in the Castle of Night for a few minutes, and previous times we've been there we didn't exactly have the opportunity to go a-spying." Firefox protested.

"I figured. Which is why we're giving you a week to find out. Firefox, you will be let go so you can ride to the Castle of Night and probe around. The Piper, who I understand is the only fire-raiser on your side and therefore valuable to you, will stay here with me and play me some pretty tunes to pass the time until you get back. If you do not return with sufficient information in one week, I will chop off his head."

"Fine. I will go to the Castle of Night." Firefox said.

"Excellent. We'll get you your sword back, and the Piper will be as a guest in my court until you get back." the Laughing Prince gestured to the guards, and the Piper and Firefox were roughly dragged up the stairs after the trio of monarchs.

***

Minerva woke up the next afternoon with a headache. How long had she smoked yesterday? Jocasta was quicker to recover and wearily called, "Who is it?"

"Firefox!" she groaned and managed to drag herself to the door. Minerva, invigorated by the thought of seeing Ivo again, sprinted to the door and flung it open.

"Where's Ivo? was the first question out of the her mouth.

"Have you been smoking fairyweed?" Firefox waved his hand below his nose. "It's fine if you were, I just want some too."

"I have something really important to tell you." Minerva suddenly remembered.

"No time. Look, all you need to know is Ivo is imprisoned in Ombra Castle and I need to go to the Castle of Night to find out a bunch of stuff to tell the Laughing Prince in exchange for his life because if I don't at the end of the week he'll be executed. So I need to go. Bye! Just thought you'd want to know!" he turned and ran back to his waiting horse. Minerva blinked a few times and ran after him.

"Wait! He's going to be killed?!" she screamed.

"No! Only if I don't come back with answers to the Laughing Prince's questions! Which I admit isn't likely, but anyway! Don't worry!"

"DON'T WORRY?!" Minerva was livid.

"No, don't worry! I can handle it! Besides, you can't do anything, anyway! You're a chick!" Firefox started to ride away, but Minerva grabbed his horse's reins.

"What do you mean, because I'm a chick? Jocasta's a chick!"

"Well, she's cool. You're...just....kind of...a Relationship Sue."

"What?!"

"A Relationship Sue. You only exist to be in a relationship with Ivo. Frankly, it's pretty shoddy writing that results in a Relationship Sue, and that's definitely what's been happening here."

"You have some nerve!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Yup. It's called an actual personality trait, instead of just being a generic woman for female readers to project themselves onto to better imaging themselves as the Piper's lover."

"How dare you!"

"So long, Inkheart-Bella." Firefox rode off without another word, leaving Minerva shocked and speechless. Jocasta, who had finally made it out that far, walked up and leaned her head on her shoulder for support.

"So what happened?" she asked.

"We're going to Ombra Castle. Relationship Sue..." she muttered, stomping off to find some weapons.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Minerva hated Ombra Castle the moment she saw it. Unnecessary riches, all glorifying one man and his kin while the rest of Lombrica could barely find the money to feed themselves and pay his taxes, which he raised almost every year. Even right outside its gates, there were beggars and waifs starving to death. She would probably have been one of them if she hadn't gone back to Ivo after all. It had been the right choice, she reflected. He was a good man, deep down. How he had become a fire-raiser was a mystery to her.

The daggers hidden in various places in her clothing scraped and bounced uncomfortably as the horse moved forward. It gave her an odd feeling of being dangerous. She had never been able to hurt someone before. She didn't quite like it, it made her almost want to hurt someone.

No one in the castle objected much to two beautiful new maids, so getting in was fairly easy. Their quarters were right above the dungeons, but it turned out they didn't have to go that far. Their first night in Violante's service, who should be playing music for the Laughing Prince himself but the Piper. Her Piper. Ivo. He was dressed more splendidly than she had ever seen him, and it took her breath away.

"Don't stare." a fellow maid whispered. "I hear at Capricorn's place it's a different girl every night. You want none of it, trust me."

"I'll keep that in mind." during a lull in the music, when Cosimo and the Laughing Prince had started to make their rounds to the nobles who had made the most generous donations to the royal coffer, she stole over to him with a silver coin and seated herself in front of him.

"What tune--" he froze when he saw her. "What are you doing here?!" his eyes flashed around the room, hoping no royalty saw their exchange.

"I'm saving you. I figured Firefox would mess things up somehow and you'd be in need of a beautiful woman to help you escape." she imitated his usual bravado with satisfaction.

"You need to leave. Now! They'll kill you if--your highness!" his gaze suddenly shifted to just above her. Minerva turned and saw the Laughing Prince right behind her.

"And who would this be? A friend?" he leaned over to look at her, eyes flicking from her to the Piper and back again.

"I'm one of Violante's maids." Minerva had the sense to say meekly.

"And you thought this minstrel would be nice and play you a tune? No, I'm afraid he's anything but tame enough to do that." the king of Lombrica put his hands on her shoulders and looked at the Piper over her head, a veiled challenge in his expression.

"I just wanted to hear one song in particular, your highness." she said quickly.

"What song would that be, little maid?" he chuckled.

"I'm not sure if you know it," she said, turning to the Piper. "It's called I'm Yours." The irritation and fear left him as he smiled at the memory of their first night together.

"I know it." he said softly.

"Well, play, minstrel, play, but whatever you do--" he paused to wink cheekily, apparently having heard stories as well, "Have her back by morning. And don't make any sounds you don't want the guards outside your door to hear." he left them to regale the rest of the hall with his laughter.

"I guess that means we can go back to your room." Minerva wiped a fleck of nervous sweat from her forehead.

"Oh, no, my lady. You paid for a song, and I shall sing for you." the Piper smiled, looked her dead in the eye, and sang their song in a way that could charm the wings off a fairy. When he finished, Minerva was embarrassed to find she was staring, but he just smiled and took her hand, leading her away with only two royal body guards following them.

***

"God, I love you." the Piper groaned as he stretched himself out next to her on the luxurious bed the Laughing Prince had provided.

"I'm guessing the face that I infiltrated Ombra Castle shows how I feel about you." Minerva said wryly. She curled herself into his arms, but he lifted her head up so their eyes met.

"I want to hear you say it, though." he sounded so uncertain, as if she was really going to say she didn't love him!

She sat up, took his head in both hands, looked deep into his eyes, and said, "Ivo of Lorenzia, I love you, and I always will."

"Good." he relaxed. "Now tell me how you got here, and how you got that beautiful dress I tore off you earlier."

"Firefox came riding through the village and told me what happened to you. I figured he probably wouldn't get the information the Laughing Prince wanted in a week, so I came to get you. Because, you know, I don't only exist for us to have cute little romance scenes."

"We don't?" the Piper asked. Minerva glared at him. "I mean, we don't!"

"Right."

"Right...so how do you intend to get me out of here?"

"We'll deal with that tomorrow. Let's just relax right now." she curled into him like a babe seeking its mother's warmth. He embraced her and sighed contentedly.

"When I first met you, you were just another maid. I would have had you and left you like just another maid." he mused.

"Why didn't you? I've always wondered what exactly made you change your entire lifestyle for me."

"When you saved me from the spider in the mushroom patch. Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember."

"I had never met anyone who would do that. Everyone else who's seen me get freaked out by a spider laughs or thinks I'm a crybaby, a scaredycat. But you...you were compassionate. Nice. That was when it started."

"What's 'it?'" she asked.

"Love, I suppose. I didn't think of it as love; I tried not to think of it as anything. I didn't want it to happen to me. But I had the bet with Firefox, so I dismissed it, and tried to get it over with sooner."

"Is that why you came to the maid's quarters that night?"

"Part of it. Another part, the part I wouldn't acknowledge, was that I honestly wanted to see you again."

"And I rebuffed you like a bitch." Minerva smiled ruefully.

"You kind of had a right." he conceded. "I wouldn't have trusted me either. And that was another thing that set you apart from everyone else. You didn't want me. I hadn't been rejected in almost seven years. At that point, it was almost an issue of pride. But then, you again showed how superior you are to the other maids."

"When the were making fun of you for being afraid of spiders."

"Right. Again, you didn't seem to enjoy other people's fears like they did. I don't know if it's more saying something about my life than you when I say you're then nicest woman I've ever met..." he laughed. "But that's how it was, you were, and still are, the nicest woman I've ever met."

"More says something about you." Minerva grinned. He laughed again and continued, not wanting to stop.

"When he first touched in the courtyard..." he leaned down so their foreheads touched, an involuntary shudder escaping his lips. When he mastered himself, he finished, "It was the first time that had happened when I touched a woman."

"It was the first time a man had ever touched me like that." she whispered.

"I'm glad. I was glad then, too. I could tell it by how easily I got you up against the wall, and how you reacted when I touched your face." he traced her cheekbone, pushed her hair behind her ear, and trailed his fingers down her jaw, reliving the moment in the courtyard. This time their lips touched and they drew back, breathing heavily.

"Tell me more." she said huskily.

"The next day, I didn't see you around. I didn't know what you thought about what had happened, so when Firefox told me he'd found you sleeping on a tree I naturally went with him. I heard you mumbling in your sleep, and I realized I wanted it to be me. But even knowing I was the only man in your life, I wasn't sure. I was so surprised at how anxious about that I was, thinking back. For a long time I had that paranoia, that you were nowhere near as serious about it as I was."

"I felt the same way. Although I had more reason to think that." she murmured.

"How stupid we both are." he sighed. Minerva laughed humorlessly and buried her face in his chest. He whispered in her ear, "And when you got mad, I felt...awful. I felt like a dirty, evil...fire raiser."

"I didn't want you to be. When I thought you were it damn near broke my heart."

"Well, I couldn't let you think I was. And I couldn't let you get lost in the Wayless Wood alone."

"I would have been fine; I go in there all the time."

"Still. It made me forget about not wanting to care."

"One question--why did you insist on doing it in a regular bed? Why didn't you want to do it in the forest?"

"Oh, I wanted to. Believe me, I wanted to. God, I already wanted you so badly, and realizing you wanted me too--But, I felt like I needed to show you some respect."

"I didn't want your respect. I just wanted you."

"I know. But I wanted you to want it."

Minerva smiled sadly. Eventually she whispered, "I should never have left you."

"No." he agreed, grinning back.

"Really, I shouldn't have. I had no idea what I would do when I got to Ombra, I would have been begging in the streets, my child with no father figure. You..." she kissed his cheek. "You might live among the scum of the earth, but you will be a wonderful father, I know it."

"Thank you." Was that a tear? No, it couldn't be. Minerva kissed him, resolving this wouldn't be her last night spent like this.


End file.
